SOLD! ... For $6.1 BILLION ...

The News

It was a quiet Thursday. The NBA season is winding down. Talks about the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers were likely happening at bars, barbershops and around water coolers throughout New England.

And then, out of nowhere, Shams Charania dropped the news…The Celtics had been sold for a record-breaking $6.1 billion. Bill Chisholm is the new man in charge, taking over from the Grousbeck family.

Chisholm, a lifelong Celtics fan who probably froths at the mouth at the slightest mention of the Lakers, hit all the right notes. He wants the Celtics to remain competitive. Why would he mess with a winning formula? It’s all about trusting the system already in place. And Wyc is going to stay on as governor for the foreseeable future.

The Immediate Concerns

Those are all great soundbites. Each one strikes the perfect balance between optimism for the future and appreciation for what the Celtics have achieved since Brad Stevens took over the front office.

However, none of Chisholm’s comments have silenced the discussion surrounding the Celtics and the potential roster moves that lie ahead. In fact, his acquisition of the franchise has firmly placed its immediate future in the limelight.

Boston's problem is its impending salary bill - the kind that would see Jordan Belfort scrambling to get overseas, as far away as possible. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the franchise will face a $500 million salary sheet for next season once taxes and penalties are included.

Yet, according to Wyc Grousbeck, the money isn’t the biggest stumbling block for the Celtics — the basketball penalties that come with being a second-apron team are where issues can arise.

"It's not the luxury tax bill, it's the basketball penalties,” Grousbeck said on a March 21 episode of The Greg Hill Show. “...The basketball penalties mean that it's even more of a premium now to have your basketball President be brilliant and lucky. Because you have to navigate because you can't stay in the second-aron, nobody will ... We have Brad Stevens, the reigning Executive of The Year, and thank god we do. He's the one who really brought us this championship with his brilliant moves --along with many other people -- but Brad is at the forefront. He's going to extend our window and make it work."

As a lifelong fan, we can expect Chisholm isn't going to pull a Nico Harrison and trade Jayson Tatum in the middle of the night (1…2…3…Collective exhale). The hope is also that he doesn't want to be as hands-on as Mat Ishbia, whose Big Three experiment with the Phoenix Suns has become the NBA’s version of ‘A series of unfortunate events.)

Chisholm has exceptional basketball minds running the Celtics. And while he will be free to share his input, it would be wise to let Stevens do what Stevens does. However, Chisholm is the one signing the cheques. He sets the ceiling on what the franchise can spend on a year-to-year basis. And that’s what’s got people talking.

Could the Celtics still be a contender if they shaved one or two players off the rotation, replacing them with younger developmental talents? Would Jrue Holiday be the makeweight? What about Sam Hauser?

Well, during a March 20 episode of ESPN's NBA Today, Marks shared some thoughts that might make Celtic fans reach for something stronger than their usual Sam Adams.

“They are a luxury tax team next year…However, although you may be paying around $500 million in payroll, you’ve got 11 players under contract for next year…That’s where this new CBA comes into play,” Marks said. “Because what the commissioner has done is say, ‘You can have some toys, but you can’t have all the toys.’ And those toys are Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. Here’s a number for you: by keeping Sam Hauser, his first year of that extension, he’s worth $90 million when you look at his $10 million salary and the $80 million in luxury tax penalties that come with it. If they’re looking at shedding some of that money, which would be Sam Hauser.”

Why Hauser Makes Sense As The Fall Guy

Hauser joined the Celtics as an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract. Fun fact — I was the first one to get an exclusive interview with him. It’s old now, but you can listen here:

It sucks that I have a string of player and coach interviews that I no longer own the rights to, and the videos died when I lost my YouTube channel. Such is life.

Since making the jump from the G-League to the NBA, Hauser has developed into one of the best shooters in the league. He’s also proven to be an above-average defender — despite teams testing that theory with consistency.

The issue is, Hauser hasn’t been himself this season — well, for most of it anyway. He’s been dealing with back spasms throughout the year. The knock-on effect of those issues has been a career-low 40% (wild that’s considered a low here) from deep and 44% from the field.

When you’re potentially costing a team $90 million in the upcoming season, the last thing you want is to be producing at a career-worst number — even if that number is still ridiculously good.

Decline looks like decline, regardless of how you want to address it.

That’s where Scheierman comes in. He's the Johnny Bravo to Hauser's Waylon Smithers - not quite as devoted to Mr. Burns (Stevens), but certainly eager to please. Well, not really. There’s only a three-year age gap, but in terms of mileage, I like this comp — mainly because Jonny Bravo was hilarious.

Still, Scheierman brings additional skills to the table. He’s not quite the level of shooter that Hauser is. However, he is good enough to command gravity, and that’s all that’s the most important aspect, especially in a five-out offense.

Scheierman is a sneaky good rebounder, on-ball creator, PnR creator and has the upside of a three-level scorer. If the Celtics are confident that he can fill Hauser’s role and expand on that role with some on-ball reps, the front office may feel comfortable pulling the trigger and finding a willing suitor to take Hauser off the team’s hands.

But then there’s the Jrue Holiday of it all

Holiday is 34 - not ancient by normal human standards, but in NBA years, he's approaching the 'get off my lawn' phase. His body has already shown signs of breaking down. This season alone, he’s dealt with multiple separate issues, and while that’s better than one chronic injury, it’s still concerning in the sense that he isn’t recovering quickly and likely needs more rest days.

This season is the first of Holiday’s four-year $134.4 million extension. If Hauser’s $10 million per year is coming with a $90 million cap hit, then the math says that Holiday’s total cost is mind-boggling enough to leave Chisholm needing smelling salts every time he looks at the cap sheet.

Where things get tricky is that you’re never going to get fair value in a Holiday deal. He’s one-of-one. No one else in the league brings his blend of defensive versatility, playmaking and scalable scoring to the table. By trading Holiday, it’s a certainty that the team gets worse.

Don’t believe me? How are the Milwaukee Bucks doing since swapping him for Damian Lillard?

I rest my case.

On paper, moving Holiday is the more intelligent move. You save a boatload of cash, can still plug Scheierman into the rotation, except with more ball-handling reps, and elevate Payton Pritchard as a reward for his stellar season.

Yet, on the basketball court, moving Holiday would be akin to giving away the front windscreen of your car. You feel like you can drive without it until you’re doing 50 on the freeway and can’t keep your eyes open with the amount of wind and bugs smashing against your face.

No player ever appears tradable, though.

Not to us. Not as fans of the team. It’s an inherent part of the fandom experience to overrate and overvalue players on the team you support. I try to curb that desire and remain impartial for the most part, but I’m only human.

Still, I think it’s fair to say that losing Holiday could have some big knock-on effects, especially on the Celtics’ perimeter defense and their ability to cross-match on stronger bigs. While losing Hauser would be less of a blow, his floor spacing and movement shooting are both key components to Mazzulla’s second unit rotation. Stevens must be sure Scheierman (or whoever else) can replace that production while not being a walking matador on the defensive end.

Here’s the rub…

None of this actually matters. Not right now, at least. All the talk since the Chisholm news broke has been centered around the Celtics’ future — both immediate and long-term. Well, I hate to break to the media, but we’re still in season. The playoffs are right around the corner.

How Mazzulla’s team fares over the next few months could have a profound impact. If it wins a second championship, it’s much harder to justify moving away from the current roster. Things get even more difficult if they make a run to the 2026 NBA Finals. Winning changes the formula, changes the conversation, and, most importantly, keeps everyone happy.

If the Celtics win this year, Chisholm’s investment is already paying dividends. The franchise's value will likely rise, even if only slightly. The benefits of a second chip will be felt for 12-18 months.

Look, I get it, a lot of us read Steve Pagliuca’s statement yesterday and felt like it was a gently worded warning. If you haven’t read it, here it is: “

“Since the Grousbeck family announced it would sell the Boston Celtics almost nine months ago,” Pagliuca wrote. “I have worked tirelessly to put together a strong bid centered around the great majority of existing owners of the team who understand and appreciate what it means to be a steward of the Boston Celtics, a team steeped in championship tradition.

Additionally, I recruited new partners with deep resources and expertise in technology and international markets to maximize the Celtics’ successes to ensure we can always compete for championships, luxury taxes be damned.”

We made a fully guaranteed and financed offer at a record price, befitting the best sports fans in the world and with all the capital coming from individuals who are committed to winning on and off the court. We had no debt or private equity money that would potentially hamstring our ability to compete in the future. We have felt it was the best offer for the Celtics. It is a bid of true fans, deeply connected to Boston’s community, and we’ve been saddened to find out we have not been selected in the process.”

At the end of the day, the Celtics find themselves in uncharted territory - a championship-caliber team with a new owner, a looming financial crunch, and a roster that may be too expensive to maintain but too good to dismantle.

The Pagliuca statement reads like a warning shot across the bow - a reminder that someone was ready to pay record money with "luxury taxes be damned." Whether Chisholm will match that commitment remains to be seen. In fact, I Tweeted yesterday that his first fan-facing statement must be about two things;

1. He will keep Stevens at all cost
2. He will do whatever it takes and pay whatever it takes to keep this contention window open for as long as possible.

At the end of the day, Banner 19 (it still feels weird writing that) is still the priority. The financial reckoning can wait until summer. If the Celtics hoist another trophy in June, those tough conversations about Holiday, Hauser, and the second apron get a lot easier to have. Winning doesn't solve every problem, but it sure makes writing those nine-figure checks a whole lot easier. The pen will glide across the paper like Will Ferrell did the ice in Blades of Glory.

The Celtics are about championships. We’ve waited patiently for this window to go from ajar to wide-freaking open. Letting it slam shut is unacceptable. Chisholm knows it. Stevens knows it. And soon enough, we'll find out just how much they're willing to pay to keep adding banners and rings to the collection.

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