Paul Pierce has played his entire 15-year career with the Boston Celtics, but that may change next year.
There are rumors that the team is looking to cut or trade the star , as only about one-third of his $15.3 million salary is guaranteed for 2013-14.
Veteran Celtics reporter Greg Dickerson believes Paul Pierce is done with the Boston Celtics.
“I don’t think they will (bring Pierce back),” Dickerson said Sunday on CSNNE. “And I know that the company that Paul Pierce hangs around in, they do not believe – and I don’t think Paul Pierce believes – that he is going to be brought back next year at $15 million. I know for a fact that people around Paul Pierce have pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that he’s played his final game in a Boston Celtics uniform. Again, Paul wants to stay – obviously for $15 million, but he wants to finish his career in a Celtics uniform.”
The No. 7 seed Celtics lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the New York Knicks, falling into a 3-0 hole before winning two games to force Game 6.
The Celtics are now a team in flux, with Pierce appearing to be on the way out and Kevin Garnett possibly headed for retirement.
“If Paul’s gone, I think without a doubt Kevin Garnett is gone – either by retirement or he finally decides to waive his no-trade clause, and the Celtics maybe work something out with a (Los Angeles Clippers) team,” said Dickerson. “But the list is real short; the teams that Kevin Garnett would go to, there might be two of them on it, and they both might be the Clippers and (Los Angeles) Lakers.”
There are also rumors that coach Doc Rivers could join Paul Pierce in leaving the Boston Celtics this offseason. The Brooklyn Nets reportedly asked for permission to talk to Rivers as a replacement for P.J. Carlesimo, but Dickerson said it’s highly unlikely Rivers would coach anywhere else next year.
