Wyc Grousbeck on Celtics offseason changes: "We're obviously all-in"
BOSTON -- After coming up short of their championship aspirations for a second straight year, the Celtics brass knew it was time to make a difficult decision this offseason. Changes had to be made to Boston's core.
One year after making it to the NBA Finals, the Celtics fell short of a return to the big stage in 2022. They nearly pulled off the NBA's first-ever comeback from a 3-0 series deficit against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning three straight to even the series at 3-3, but then got blown out in Game 7 on their home floor.
A big change followed. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (now the highest paid player in NBA history) remain the pillars of the franchise, but gone is starting point guard Marcus Smart. Drafted in 2014, Smart was the longest tenured member of the Celtics, but he was dealt away to Memphis in a three-team trade for big man Kristaps Porzingis at the start of free agency.
"We agreed not to bring back the exact same team again, but to be open to changing the mix and bringing in additional talent," Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck told The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. "And the result of that so far this offseason has been Kristaps Porzingis coming in and really adding hopefully a lot to our lineup."
Adding another big to Robert Williams and Al Horford was something that was discussed after Boston's season came to an end, and it came to fruition when Porzingis was made available. Grousbeck praised Porzingis for being a team-first player and someone who is eager to play -- and win -- in Boston.
"He's about the team, his teammates, and the banner," said Grousbeck. "He chose us. There were other people, I hear, that wanted him. And he chose us. He wants to be here and he wants to win a ring."
Giving Brown his max contract and signing Porzingis (plus the massive contract Tatum will be receiving next summer) will complicate things for Boston in a few years under the new CBA. But Grousbeck isn't worried about a few years from now; he wants to win this year.
"We're obviously all-in, with the record contract for Jaylen and with our payroll this year and in coming years. Eventually, there are basketball penalties for spending, so that will go into the thought process down the road," he said. "But at the moment, the best basketball thing we can do is what we're doing."
Grousbeck said that he feels extremely fortunate to be able to build the Celtics around Tatum and Brown.
"They're the best two people I could imagine building a team around. We've had them since the beginning. We've been very lucky to have them here for their whole careers, and we're building the team around them." he said. "But you add the next eight guys to the list. You take our top 10 and we've got a really good team. The focus is naturally on those two because they're All-NBA players and All-Stars, but I like the whole roster. "
That includes the guy in charge of the roster: Head coach Joe Mazzulla. Grousbeck gave a strong endorsement of Mazzula in his chat with Himmelsbach, after the first-year head coach was met with lots of scrutiny and criticism throughout last season.
"Joe handled that initial transition and eventually the entire season incredibly well. He's got world-class intensity, drive and knowledge. He is fully committed to winning a championship with this group. It's all he thinks about. … Every breath he takes is about making the Celtics better and doing a better job as a coach. He's all-in," said Grousbeck.
Grousbeck sounded "all-in" on Mazzulla.
"If Joe had done a poor job, I would have thought about replacing him, but he did a very good job," said the Celtics owner. "He took us within one game of the best record in the league and then one game of being in the Finals, as a rookie coach. So, I'm comfortable and happy to have Joe as head coach."