Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Celtics owner criticizes Mavericks' handling of Luka Doncic-Lakers trade

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 4:01 PM ET

The Boston Celtics have made a lot of changes in the last few months. Wyc Grousbeck sold the team after 23 years as the majority owner to Bill Chisholm for a then-record of over $6 billion. Then, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the playoffs, making a hard decision easier to make some trades and get cheaper.

They've already shipped out Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis while getting back Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang, moves that brought them under the second tax apron. They also had to let Luke Kornet walk in free agency, while Al Horford could be doing the same soon.

What they won't be doing is trading a megastar like Tatum, even with his injury. Especially after Grousbeck came out on the "Club 520" podcast and questioned the Dallas Mavericks' decision-making process during the trade.

"I don't want to really pick on anybody, but I'll give you an honest answer," Grousbeck stated. "I think if we traded somebody of that level, which we're not, but if we were, we would call everybody. And it would probably leak out, but you just got to take it. And then you get five picks back. Or six. I mean, [Desmond] Bane got four picks and a swap. And they got like one pick—or maybe two."

The Mavericks did only get one pick, as well as Anthony Davis and Max Christie, but everyone questioned the value once the trade was announced. And it immediately backfired on the Mavs, as everyone predicted, as they sank out of playoff contention, missing them entirely. What no one expected was for them to miraculously land the first overall pick, granting them Cooper Flagg.

"So, I mean, it just feels like, you know. Now they're ending up with Cooper Flagg, but it's not, it's not all connected really that way," Grousbeck continued. "I don't know. I guess I feel like it must have been painful for them to do it. So, they didn't want to let everybody know about it, probably. And that's kind of human nature, I guess."

Grousbeck still owned the Celtics when they beat the Dallas Mavericks in last year's NBA Finals, so he saw how great Doncic is. Unfortunately, Dallas didn't see him the same way.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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