Talks about a change in ownership for the Boston Celtics have been ongoing for a while, and it has finally happened. The news broke earlier today, leaving people stunned by the lucrative figures involved in the sale price. Well, the most successful franchise, at least in terms of titles, had to make headlines. And it certainly did with its $6.1 billion sale– the largest for any sports franchise in North America. While the business side of things seems settled now, the focus has shifted to the players. Following the news, what popped up was Jayson Tatum’s strong remark about the ownership a few days ago.

After the team’s recent road trip, Tatum had a brief Q&A session with the media following their win against the Heat. He was asked if there were any specific qualities or approaches the franchise hoped the new owner would have when taking over the team. Steering clear of front office decisions, the recently turned 27-year-old replied, “I don’t know, I look forward to whoever it is, you know, I trust the Wyc (Grousbeck) and PAGS (Stephen Pagliuca) and those guys and their decision and understanding the culture that we’ve set and we’ve had.” 

With his message, Tatum also emphasized the importance of maintaining and improving the team’s culture. “Sustaining that and trying to make it better. You know, we got some great people in this organization and this team and we’ve worked really hard to build something special. I mean, I trust the team to make the right decisions,” he added.

Tatum expressed full confidence in the decisions of the former majority owner and co-owner, trusting the franchise would land in capable hands. And guess what? It has. William Chisholm is stepping in as the new majority owner. To give you the rundown on William, he’s the co-founder of STG Partners, private equity firm.

It’s all good news after the chaotic situation surrounding the franchise’s ownership. However, as history suggests, new ownership means wholesale change and the Celtics could run the risk of it.

Are Jayson Tatum and Co.’s future in danger after the Celtics’ $6.1bn sale?

When Wyc Grousbeck led ownership bought the franchise back in 2002 for $360 million, they only hoped for the glory days. Now with two NBA titles under their belts, the Grousbecks are bidding goodbye to Boston on a surface level. According to reports Wyc will be involved in decision making till the 2027-28 season. But what led to the sudden sale?

It is believed, Irving Grousbeck, 90 was unhappy with the spending spree of the franchise. The dispute between father and son escalated to the point of selling the franchise. Since the NBA introduced the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in 2023, the salary expenditure has been put on a tight leash.

The Celtics gave a much deserved raise to their core group of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White recently that is projected to send their salary cap to $526 million including tax bill for the next season. This will be a major concern for the incoming ownership group who might pull the plug on the band. After hoisting the championship with the group, Wyc Grousbeck might not want to be the person to disband the group. Despite him remaining with the franchise till 2028, how much decision making power will he have is up for debate. And just like any new owner who looks to get rid of the old staff for fresher faces, Bill Chisholm might do the same.

Hence one wouldn’t be far from envisioning a possible Luka Doncic-like trade to happen in Boston in the near future. It’s hard to think of the Celtics parting ways with Jayson Tatum and Brown, but the NBA trade window recently proved nothing is ever off the table no matter how big the chunk of changes are.