The sale of the Boston Celtics has unfolded slower than initially anticipated, but a critical update came Wednesday thanks to Sportico, who reports that four groups remain engaged in the bidding, with the next round of bids due at the end of this week.
The four groups, according to Sportico, are:
-The Friedkin Group
-Philadelphia Phillies minority owner Stan Middleman
-Symphony Technology Group (STG) managing partner William Chisholm
-A group led by current Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca
Sportico adds that it is unclear if any of the groups are fully funded, or where they are on bid price. Sportico estimates that the Celtics are worth $5.66 billion.
Pagliuca is of course the name best known by Boston fans. He is part of the Boston Basketball Partners group that bought the Celtics in 2003 and has helped lead the franchise to two NBA titles in 2008 and 2024. That group is led by the Grousbeck family, who announced their intent to sell their controlling stake in the team last July, with a two-stage plan to sell 51% now and the rest in 2028. Pagliuca also owns the Atalanta soccer club in Italy's Serie A.
The Friedkin Group, led by owner and CEO Dan Friedkin, is a privately held consortium based in Texas. Its sports assets include Italian soccer club AS Roma and English Premier League club Everton.
Middleman is the president and CEO of Freedom Mortgage. He bought a 16.25% stake of the Phillies in 2023 after previously showing interest in the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians.
Chisholm is the co-founder, managing partner and chief investment officer of STG, which is based in Menlo Park, California. He attended college in New England, graduating from Dartmouth College.
Current Celtics investor Rob Hale, who joined the team's ownership group in 2012, suggested on The Greg Hill Show this week that he could be involved with whatever group ultimately buys the team.
"I expect that whoever is the primary owner will need help, and I hope to be a helpful part of that team," said Hale, the president of Granite Telecommunications.