Jayson Tatum reportedly ‘shocked’ by Celtics sale announcement

Count Jayson Tatum among the many others who were surprised to see the Celtics ownership group announce its intention to sell its stake in the team.

Tatum was ‘shocked’ to learn that principal owner Wyc Grousbeck was considering selling his stake in the Celtics, according to Sports IllustratedChris Mannix. Tatum, who spoke with Mannix during his JT Elite camp in Las Vegas, also discussed the topic of a new ownership group taking over the franchise in the coming years.

“As for the next owner, Tatum says he’s “hoping the foundation and the structure doesn’t change… what we’ve built, what we have, it’s a good thing. I don’t want things to change,” Mannix said on X.

The news of Grousbeck and the Celtics ownership group’s decision to sell the team was a shocking development, coming just two weeks after Boston won its record-tying 18th championship.

While a sale could be completed as early as 2024, Grousbeck and Boston’s top management are expected to remain in place for the next several years.

“The board of directors of the ownership group expects to sell a majority interest in 2024 or early 2025, with the balance closing in 2028, and expects Wyc Grousbeck to remain a team governor through the second closing in 2028,” the Celtics noted in a statement announcing the pending sale.

The Celtics ownership group is preparing to pay a high price to retain nearly its entire roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Boston is currently on pace to secure the two most expensive contracts in NBA history, with Tatum (five years, $315 million) and Jaylen Brown (five years, $285 million), while Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis will each command annual salaries of more than $30 million next season.

Add in Derrick White’s new four-year, $125 million extension that kicks in in 2025, and the Celtics are going to have to pay a premium to keep this deep roster intact, especially when you factor in luxury tax penalties.

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