The Jayson Tatum Injury Is the Perfect Cover for the Celtics’ New Ownership

There was always going to be a financial exodus from this roster. Paying luxury tax for a busted-up Kristaps Porzingis and an over-the-hill Jrue Holiday? Not feasible. Honestly, I agree. Even if Tatum was healthy, the Celtics needed to tweak the roster to maximize the Tatum-Brown championship window.

Now, with Tatum out most of the season, new ownership gets a ready-made excuse: “We’re just resetting until Jayson’s back at full strength.” In principle, fine. Best-case scenario? Tatum returns late February—if you believe the overly optimistic reports. More likely March. Either way, him shaking off the rust in real games could help set the table for 2027, when you’d expect new ownership to finally reinvest.

And that’s the key: expect. That’s also where you should start getting nervous.

We just saw Wyc Grousbeck bounced from the governor role—NBA rulebook stuff about not owning enough of the team. Enter Bill Chisholm, whose company is, wait for it, a private equity firm. Do yourself a favor and Google “private equity pensions” to see how these firms treat assets. Now, yes—pro sports are almost impossible to lose money on. But being cheap? Oh, that’s easy.

Oh and by the way the deal is yet to go through. This deadline has been pushed twice. Why? Because Billy Chisholm is still chasing down the money. He doesn’t have it. Sixth Street Partners (look em up) they had the majority ownership until the NBA said Bill Chisholm can’t be governor (owner) if Sixth Street Partners were the majority owners. So, Billy had to find some more coin. Look, He won’t be in charge. He is not the “owner”. He will have people and entities to answer to.

So what happens when shareholders demand bigger margins, and the basketball side demands a 20-and-10 power forward who’d push the luxury tax bill tens of millions higher? Does Chisholm open the checkbook—or does he start clipping coupons?

Historically, new owners spend early (see: John Henry and the Red Sox). The Celtics could be in that position now—Tatum injury, new CBA, roster reshuffle, the whole deal.

But 2027? That’s the real reckoning. If Chisholm doesn’t go all-in on Tatum and Brown’s prime, we’ll know exactly what kind of “reset” this was.