Boston Celtics Sale Could Net an NBA-Record Amount

The World Champion Boston Celtics are for sale, and at least one observer thinks the team could net a record amount of money for an NBA franchise sale price.

CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian told NBCU Local, "You have to think that the Celtics are going to sell for at least $6 to $7 billion."

"The Celtics do not operate their arena, the arena that they play in is operated by the Boston Bruins ownership group, but they do have some unique marketing and sponsorship activities in the arena, which helped them," Ozanian said.

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According to NBC Sports Boston, "The current NBA record sales price is $4 billion in 2022 when Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns from Robert Sarver."

The New York Post reported, "The Boston Celtics' ballooning payroll allegedly sparked a rift within the family that owns the team – leading the aging patriarch to demand his free-spending son sell the iconic franchise."

According to the Post's sources, "Irving Grousbeck, a 90-year-old Massachusetts-born entrepreneur who owns a controlling roughly 20 percent stake in the team, balked at funding big losses on the horizon from the massive contracts that helped the Celtics capture a record 18th NBA championship in June."

Grousbeck's son Wyc owns about a three percent stake in the team.

ESPN reports, "The Celtics are barreling towards the NBA's first $500M roster." The network says contractual obligations would "push Boston's payroll to about $233 million, more than $45 million over the projected luxury tax line."

ESPN says, "The Celtics would be staring at a projected tax bill of $280 million," giving the team "roughly $513 million in combined salary and tax penalties for the 2025-26 season alone."