Bill Simmons speculated a $6 billion valuation for the Boston Celtics after winning the title amid potential sale rumors regarding Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos is rumored to purchased the Boston Celtics at $6 billion (Image: Getty)

Boston sports fan and Ringer CEO Bill Simmons speculated on his podcast that the Celtics could be worth an astronomical $6 billion evaluation, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos potentially interested in acquiring the reigning NBA champions.

Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca own the Celtics through their investment group, Boston Basketball Partners LLC, and have experienced success since their purchase in 2002, including NBA titles in 2008 and last season. While Pagliuca is expected to remain part of the new ownership structure after the sale, he will be joined by unfamiliar new investors.

Simmons hinted at having insider knowledge about the impending sale, implying that the Boston owners plan to open up bidding to the public. The Ringer owner also revealed that the NBA is looking to establish a higher-than-normal valuation for the reigning champions, partially to set the bar for future expansion teams as Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City remain rumored to get a team.

“I happen to have a bunch of information on this as this is [a] huge, huge topic right now in the circles of people that would want to buy a team. There’s a bunch of stuff going on. The league wants $6 billion for that team,” Simmons said on his podcast.

“$6 billion and they don’t own the arena. It’s a crazy price, but they’re probably going to get it. They’re doing that because they want expansion teams in Seattle, Vegas, and Mexico City is looming – but they want $6 billion each for the two teams for expansion, which would mean a check for $400 million to every NBA owner.”

The Celtics are the reigning NBA champions (Image: Getty)

Simmons further speculated about Bezos’ potential interest in the Celtics, stating: “In the last few days there’s been legitimate buzz about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, and I think it’s real; he’s going to be one of the suitors.”

Bezos is estimated to be worth over $195 billion, allowing no issues with maintaining a title-contending roster, the purchase price, or luxury tax costs. The Celtics owners had bittersweet timing to announce their plans to sell on the same day that franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum signed a supermax contract extension worth approximately $318 million. Key player Derrick White committed to Boston for the next four seasons with a $125.9 million extension on the same day.

The sale process is anticipated to be split into two parts, with 51 percent of the team being sold “soon” and the remaining 49 percent in 2028. Grousbeck has indicated that he will stay with the organization throughout the transition period, ensuring continuity during the sale process.

Any potential sale of an NBA franchise would require approval from the NBA Board of Governors, including representatives from each league’s teams. The last NBA team sale occurred in 2023 when Michael Jordan sold his majority stake, and the Charlotte Hornets were sold for $3 billion.

The NBA Board of Governors approved that sale, with New York Knicks owner James Dolan being outed as the only owner to cast the only contrary vote. NBA fans online joked about Dolan’s history of being a contrarian, playfully labeling him as the NBA’s biggest hater.

While an official reason wasn’t warranted, speculation indicated that Dolan had concerns about how the Hornets’ sale price could set a new bar for team sales. NBA fans laughed online that Dolan didn’t want Jordan to leave because he would then be viewed as the league’s worst owner.