Boston Celtics
William Chisholm is buying the Celtics for an "initial valuation" of $6.1 billion, he announced.
That would break the record for purchase price of not just an NBA team (Mat Ishbia buying the Suns for $4 billion), but any North American sports franchise (76ers owner Josh Harris buying the NFL's Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion). It of course shatters the $360 million the Grousbecks paid for the Celtics in 2002.
However, I wonder what "initial valuation" means. The announced plan is for Chisholm to buy a majority of the franchise this summer and Wyc Grousbeck to continue overseeing operations as the team's governor through the 2027-28 season. That matches Grousbeck's previously stated plan of selling 51% initially then the rest later. Would the rest come at a higher or lower valuation?
As we've seen with the Timberwolves, multi-step sales can hit snags.
And what of Grousbeck's continued control under Chisholm ownership? Will that actually be formalized in the sale, or is this another Mark Cuban-Mavericks situation?
Today's announcement is a major development. But there's still much unsettled through 2028.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics' total payroll next season projects to be a record $513 million, including $283 of repeater-rate luxury tax and the restrictions of being over the second apron. And that doesn't even account for Al Horford, a key cog headed toward free agency this summer.
Will Boston pay to keep this championship contender fully optimized?
William Chisholm walks into a major test. Or is it Wyc Grousbeck's test, as he'll still be in charge? Presumably, the sale agreement includes provisions on who will pay the tax bill during this interim period.
The new CBA was designed to promote parity – mainly by making it more difficult to assemble a super team, but also to force already-built great teams like Boston into painful decisions. The Celtics can maintain their roster. It'll just cost a lot, both real dollars and – perhaps to give an out to owners reluctant to spend – team-building tools.
For what it's worth, Chisholm, a Boston-area native, describes himself as a "lifelong Celtics fan."
Expansion
The Celtics selling was thought to be necessary before the NBA expanded.
However, the NBA exploring starting a new league in Europe is also delaying NBA expansion, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Though the NBA could theoretically add new teams while starting a new venture in Europe, Adam Silver and top league executives have limited time in reality and are spending more of it on Europe, per Windhorst.
The NBA will eventually expand. Probably relatively soon.
I just don't share the conventional wisdom that near-term expansion is an absolute certainty.
It would provide a major influx of cash, but it'd also dilute worth of current teams, which just continue to soar in value. Current owners might rather protect their assets than split an extra $12 billion or so right now.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
As a rookie at summer league four years ago, Sandro Mamukelashvili met and befriended Flava Flav. They've kept in touch since, as Mamukelashvili struggled to gain traction in his career. He got cut from his two-way contract with the Bucks and signed a couple minimum-salary deals with the Spurs. Flav recently called Mamukelashvili and said he'd be visiting San Antonio for his birthday. "You ain't gonna have fun that much, but at least you're going to come to the game," Mamukelashvili told the rapper. Mamukelashvili took Flav to the facility Tuesday and played 2-on-2 with Mamukelashvili's cousin and brother.
"We lost the first game. He got mad, and then I had to lock in," Mamukelashvili said. "So, I feel like, since yesterday, I've been locked in."
With his famous friend cheering him on, Mamukelashvili scored 34 points in 19 minutes to lead the Spurs over the Knicks last night.
David Thompson famously scored 73 points in the final game of the 1978 season, as he chased the scoring title. Luka Doncic scored 73 in a game just last season. Wilt Chamberlain has the third-highest-scoring game of all-time with 78 points.
None scored as frequently while on the court as Mamukelashvili, who got a point every 34 seconds last night.
That's 16th best all-time (minimum: 15 minutes):
Quintin Dailey and CJ McCollum are the only other players on that leaderboard who weren't stars, and they were far superior to Mamukelashvili, a backup still averaging fewer than six points per game. But Victor Wembanyama being sidelined created an opening, and Mamukelashvili took full advantage.
Dallas Mavericks
Amid a small kerfuffle over Nikola Jokic missing the Nuggets' win over the Warriors and loss to the Lakers, the injury I'm questioning: Brandon Williams'.
Dallas listed the two-way guard as out with left hamstring tightness for their loss to the Pacers last night. Eight Mavericks played, with Jaden Hardy and Kai Jones returning (and Klay Thompson out due illness).
Williams missed a game a week-and-a-half ago with a hamstring injury, but he had played Dallas' last three. Then, once the Mavericks have eight other healthy players, he's out again?
That allowed Dallas not to burn one of Williams' remaining five games when not absolutely necessary to meet the CBA-required minimum of eight available players.
However, it also left the Mavericks shorthanded against Indiana. They lost by just four. Maybe a little more depth would've made a difference.
Williams could actually be too hurt to play. I don't claim to know. None of my suspicion is based on him.
Dallas' roster situation is just so extreme, it sparks questions.
Eight players
Thanks to subscriber Chris Mommsen for sending me another example of a team falling below eight players, and this one is even more of a doozy than yesterday's wild stories involving a taxi crash and small plane.
In the final game of the 2010 season, the Warriors had just six healthy players. Injured Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Morrow dressed so Golden State would meet the eight-player requirement.
Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Anthony Tolliver and Reggie Williams each played all 48 minutes against the Trail Blazers. The other starter, Chris Hunter, hurt his knee early. Devean George checked in and appeared set to play the rest of the game.
But George fouled out – or at least committed his sixth foul. Teams can't actually run out of players due to fouls. The last player to foul out can stay in the game, but his team gets a technical foul and all his subsequent personal fouls count as team technical fouls. Warriors coach Don Nelson advocated for leaving in George and taking that penalty.
However, officials didn't allow that. So, Hunter – who'd remained on the bench – re-entered. He made it barely more than a minute before trying to take a charge and injuring his knee even worse and finally limped off for good.
Again, Nelson tried for George – the last healthy Warrior – to play with six fouls. Except the refs noted Turiaf and Morrow remained on the bench in their warmups. Nelson was incensed. But Turiaf and Morrow were active players, as designated by Golden State. Nothing had happened during the game to suggest they'd become unavailable. They just sat and watched from the bench.
So, Turiaf and Morrow took turns entering the game then leaving after a quick foul, claiming injury (which they both legitimately already had).
Finally, George could re-enter with his six fouls. During the ordeal, the Warriors went from a four-point lead to a two-point deficit.
Golden State then won by six… to finish 26-56.
Toronto Raptors
Edward Rogers – whose company already owns 75% of the company that owns that Raptors – has the right to buy out current governor Larry Tannenbaum next year and "just where the Raptors are when that transaction takes place is already a source of both intrigue around the NBA and stress within an organization missing its third straight postseason," according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
I wonder how much this factors into the Raptors' recent attempts for a quick turnaround… which have fallen flat so far, anyway. I'm unsure whether the price for a potential buy-sell option is predetermined or still to be set by Rogers. How a team is playing can swing a franchise's valuation.
Incents
Fun stat from Owen Phillips of The F5 on the guards and forwards – creatively/derisively called "incents" – most frequently defended by centers.
Ben Simmons absolutely crushes the stat at 43%! Kyle Anderson is next at a meager 19%.
Should we be concerned Oklahoma City has three players in the top 10 (Lu Dort 18%, Alex Caruso 14%, Aaron Wiggins 8%)? Especially after the Thunder stumbled offensively in the playoffs last year, I can't help but wonder whether this is a big red flag.
Michael Ray Richardson
Do you know how to spell Michael Ray Richardson's first name?
For a long time, the 1980s Knicks and Nets star had his name spelled Micheal, the e and a reversed from the common spelling. As recently as 2013, Richardson said he didn't know and didn't care whether Micheal or Michael is correct.
However, about a year ago, he began correcting people that it's Michael, the common spelling. Birth records indicate Michael is correct, according to Basketball-Reference.
Now we know.
If curious, I discovered this while researching players to have a triple-double and game-winner at the buzzer. However, Cade Cunningham against the Heat last night didn't qualify, because he left 0.6 seconds on the clock with his game-winner.
Correction
Correction: The Thunder still have one game against a top-five East team, the Pacers on March 29.
Oklahoma City moved to 25-1 against the East with a (perhaps unwanted) win over the 76ers yesterday. The Thunder must go just 2-2 in their remaining East games to match the record for best record against a conference in a season.
-Dan Feldman