After starting out the 2018-19 NBA season as an unsigned free agent, it appears that Jason Terry has quietly closed the book on his professional basketball career. According to CBS Sports , the 19-year NBA veteran acknowledged his retirement on Saturday, during the Dallas Mavericks’ broadcast of their 107-104 win over the Houston Rockets. He did, however, suggest that there’s a chance he might suit up for a 20th season in the league, provided he gets an offer from one of three teams.
In a recent Twitter post, ESPN’s Tim McMahon quoted some of the comments Terry during Saturday’s game about the teams he wouldn’t mind playing for if given the chance this season. According to Terry, he only plans to “answer the phone” and come out of retirement if the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, or the Mavericks give him a call and offer him a contract.
Analyzing the chances of Jason Terry signing for one of the three teams he mentioned, Golden Gate Sports wrote that the Warriors make an “obvious” choice due to their status as annual championship contenders and their ability to sign tried-and-tested veterans on the cheap. The publication added that injuries, should they happen, could increase the chances of Terry joining the Warriors, even if there hasn’t been any sign that Golden State is interested in the 41-year-old sharpshooter.
On the other hand, NBC Sports opined that the Warriors’ depth at the point guard position makes it highly unlikely that the team will have a spot for Terry. Currently, the Warriors have Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook coming off the bench for Stephen Curry at point guard, with Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala playing most of the minutes at shooting guard.
Jason Terry is ‘retired’ unless the Warriors, Lakers, or Mavericks call https://t.co/gsdQ8BOzA9 pic.twitter.com/TUC04VpljP
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 9, 2018
Moving on to the two other teams Terry would be interested in coming out of retirement for, Golden Gate Sports opined that the Lakers “make perfect sense” due to their youthful core and the presence of LeBron James as the team’s newest superstar acquisition. As for the Mavericks, the publication stressed that Terry played eight seasons in Dallas during the prime of his career, which could make a return likely if they ever need a veteran off-the-bench shooter.
The 10th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Jason Terry has career numbers of 13.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and 38 percent shooting from three-point range, according to his Basketball-Reference player page. He last played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2017-18 season, where, as a reserve shooting guard, he averaged career-lows of 3.3 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 16 minutes in 51 games.
