The Boston Celtics are up for sale, and experts predict it will take a record-setting price to take ownership of the historic franchise.
The team came in at No. 7 in CNBC's NBA franchise valuation list for 2025 at a value of $5.5 billion.
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Boston Basketball Partners LLC, led by Wyc Grousbeck alongside Steve Pagliuca and Robert Epstein, bought the Celtics for $360 million in 2002. The team has won two championships under their ownership and seen the franchise value increase 15 fold across 23 years.
The ownership group announced its intent to sell a majority stake in the Celtics in July, just weeks after the team had brought home its NBA-record 18th championship. An ownership statement cited "estate and family planning considerations."
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Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins, was floated as a potential suitor a month after the Celtics' announcement. In January, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported that FSG was not involved in the bidding for the team.
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, a Boston native, dismissed rumors that he was "in the running" to buy the Celtics, telling reporters at the Super Bowl that he was "not really interested in buying another sports team."
The Golden State Warriors took the top spot in CNBC's valuations list at $9.4 billion. The New York Knicks ($7.5 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($7 billion), Chicago Bulls ($5.8 billion), Houston Rockets ($5.7 billion) and Brooklyn Nets ($5.6) also ranked ahead of the Celtics.
