'We Trying to Win or Are We Trying to Save Money?': Kevin Garnett Boldly Questions Celtics’ New Owners’ Intention

Championship windows close just as quickly as they open in the NBA. The Boston Celtics had all the makings of becoming the league’s next dynasty. Following their 2024 title, they brought back their entire roster in hopes of repeating. An unfortunate Achilles injury to Jayson Tatum jeopardized the plans for not only the 2025 playoffs but also next season and opened the door to inevitable changes that now have some questioning the team’s intentions.

The Celtics have been the busiest team in the NBA during this early portion of the offseason, parting ways with two players from their championship core. Earlier in the week, Boston shipped Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons. Shortly after, they sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in return for Georges Niang and a second-round pick.

The purpose of both deals was to shed salary. Boston’s roster had become too expensive. On March 25, 2025, Wyc Grousbeck, who was the owner of the Celtics for 23 years, sold the team to Bill Chisholm. It has since become apparent that saving as much money as possible from the luxury tax is a priority for the new owner.

Celtics legend Kevin Garnett hasn’t been the biggest fan of his former team’s recent decisions. “Jrue Holiday was the quiet leader of the locker room,” Garnett said on Ticket & The Truth. “You got to have a Jrue Holiday.”

Garnett has been around the league long enough to understand the desire to save money. His concern now lies with what direction the team is heading toward.

“What are we doing? Are we trying to win or are we trying to save money?” Garnett asked. Paul Pierce attempted to provide some clarity to Garnett from management’s perspective.

“Next year, they can’t win, so they’re like, ‘We kind of position ourselves to retool the following year,'” Pierce said. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP is correct in his assessment. Tatum’s absence ruins any championship hopes the Celtics had.

Garnett doesn’t disagree with Pierce but believes this has more to do with the rise of NBA owners coming from tech backgrounds. Their approach to running a sports team is different than the precedent established in the past.

“This is the new wave of business. When I watch this, it ain’t none of this about winning. If so, it’s winning within the confines of this box in which we make or lose money. This is all surrounded by a business,” Garnett proclaimed.

The Hall-of-Fame big man isn’t necessarily wrong. The implementation of the second apron incentivizes teams to avoid high-payroll rosters. Boston reached the NBA mountaintop in 2024, and though their core has been altered, it has not completely vanished. This is just a glimpse of what’s to follow in the NBA moving forward.