In March, it was announced that the Boston Celtics would be sold for $6.1 billion to an investor group led by Bill Chisholm. At the time, the press release stated that then-owner Wyc Grousbeck would remain as governor until 2028, overseeing basketball operations through the 2027–28 season to ease the transition. However, ESPN reported Tuesday that Grousbeck will not stay in that role, and Chisholm will take over as governor “soon.”
The reversal mirrors a recent situation with the Dallas Mavericks. Former majority owner Mark Cuban initially suggested he would still control basketball operations after selling the team to Miriam Adelson, but the press release made no mention of it. Cuban later confirmed he had no such control, especially after Dallas under GM Nico Harrison and governor Patrick Dumont traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers in February, a move Cuban said he never would have approved.
While the Celtics’ case is less dramatic, it’s still notable that Grousbeck is stepping aside despite earlier plans. Such changes aren’t unusual new owners typically want to implement their own vision. The timing is interesting, though, as Boston has spent the summer cutting costs to get under the second luxury-tax apron. They traded Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, and let Luke Kornet and Al Horford go, all while knowing Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury would likely make them a play-in team. Whether Chisholm agreed with those moves, or might have structured them differently, is unclear.
Now the focus shifts to Chisholm’s long-term plans. With next season effectively lost without Tatum, will the Celtics aim to reload for 2027–28 and build another contender around Tatum and Jaylen Brown or will they consider a bigger shake-up? Those decisions now rest entirely with Chisholm.
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