The Boston Celtics are not preparing an imminent move from TD Garden.

Owner Bill Chisholm has left open the possibility of eventually building or owning an arena, but he has announced no project, site, financing plan or departure date. His stated preference is to improve the Celtics’ experience at their current home in cooperation with TD Garden owner Delaware North.

The most important fact is the timeline: Boston’s lease keeps the team at TD Garden through the 2035-36 season. Whatever Chisholm decides about the franchise’s long-term home, no formal arena project or relocation plan has been announced.

There has been informal exploration. The Boston Globe reported in June that Chisholm was exploring arena options and that the Celtics had been looking within Boston. The report discussed the U.S. Postal Service annex near South Station and other possible sites while emphasizing the substantial hurdles involved. That reporting is evidence of early evaluation, not an announced site search, development project or decision to leave TD Garden.

What Chisholm said about owning an arena

During an appearance on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show, Chisholm was asked whether the Celtics need to own their building to compete financially.

His answer was no. He said the priority is creating an arena experience consistent with the quality of the franchise, for both players and fans. He added that the Celtics would consider owning a building if that became necessary, but warned against allowing an arena project to distract from running a championship team.

That distinction matters. Chisholm did not say the Celtics need a new home. He said they need enough influence over their home to produce the experience they want.

Chisholm also described TD Garden’s location and the team’s relationship with Delaware North positively. As Boston.com reported, he previously said his preferred outcome was to remain at the Garden if the sides could make the necessary improvements together.

Why the Celtics do not control TD Garden

The Celtics play at TD Garden as a tenant. Delaware North owns and operates the building and also owns the Boston Bruins, who share the arena with the Celtics.

Boston signed a 15-year lease extension in 2021 that runs through the 2035-36 season. The financial terms were not disclosed, but the agreement established a long runway for the current arrangement, according to Sports Business Journal.

That lease does not make a future Celtics-owned arena impossible. It does mean any move before 2036 would require a contractual solution with Delaware North, and no such agreement has been announced.

TD Garden’s identity is also not about to disappear. Delaware North and TD Bank extended the arena’s naming-rights agreement through 2045, according to the venue’s official announcement. That deal applies to the building’s name, not the Celtics’ lease, but it underscores Delaware North’s continuing commitment to operating the arena.

Why owning a building could still appeal to the Celtics

Arena ownership can provide more control over renovations, premium spaces, scheduling and revenue from events beyond basketball. An NBA.com examination of arena economics noted that teams commonly retain substantial building revenue from concerts and other events when their arena arrangements give them that control.

That does not mean owning an arena is automatically better. A new building would require a viable site, extensive approvals, financing and years of development. It could also sacrifice TD Garden’s central location above North Station—an advantage Chisholm has specifically praised.

The established facts leave two broad possibilities. The Celtics and Delaware North can continue working to improve the team’s influence and experience at TD Garden, which Chisholm has described as his preferred outcome. If that arrangement cannot meet the franchise’s goals, the Celtics could pursue their reported exploration further and begin the much more complicated process of developing their own building. Whether the possibility of a future arena also strengthens Boston’s negotiating position is a reasonable strategic inference, but Chisholm has not publicly described it as a tactic.

What would signal that a move is becoming real

For now, the evidence points toward negotiation and early evaluation rather than a decided relocation. That would change if the Celtics announce a formal site search, hire development partners, present a financing proposal, enter a public approval process or negotiate an early end to their TD Garden lease.

None of those steps has been announced.

The practical answer for fans is straightforward: the Celtics are staying at TD Garden for the foreseeable future. Chisholm wants the franchise to have enough influence to improve its home while preserving the option to consider alternatives. His latest comments and the reported exploratory activity do not confirm that Boston is getting a new arena.