Veteran forward Paul Pierce may be headed to the Los Angeles area to continue his basketball career.
While the argument could have been made that Kevin Garnett’s decision to return for another season would have been enough to keep Pierce in Brooklyn, that was prior to the fallout between coach Jason Kidd and the Nets.
Pierce, who is currently a free agent after one season with the Nets, was brought up in Inglewood, California as a teenager and could find a new home back in the Los Angeles area as either a member of the Clippers or the Lakers for the upcoming season.
If you haven’t discovered this already, the Clippers like to bring in veteran players that still have something to give.
Another factor that could work in the favor of the Clippers would be Doc Rivers.
Rivers coached Pierce in Boston with the Celtics.
During that span, the Celtics reached the NBA finals twice and won the championship in 2008.
The Clippers could do nothing wrong by adding a winner to its roster and while some pieces may need to be moved in order for this to happen, if Rivers wants him he could make it happen as the team president.
I expect Pierce to be at the top of the target list for the Clippers.
The Lakers could also be an option for him as well.
Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Pierce was a fan of the Lakers and had dreams of one day playing for them. If the Lakers and Pierce get on the same page, his dream can come true.
As crazy as it may sound for fans of the Lakers, the former Celtics player could bring a winning attitude to a roster that is still in flux at the moment.
The future basketball Hall of Famer may not be an all-star anymore, but he nevertheless has something left in the tank.
Pierce averaged 28 minutes per game during the 2013-14 regular season for the Nets, while averaging 13 points and five rebounds.
It’s safe to say Kobe Bryant isn’t expecting the signing of Pierce to be the Lakers’ biggest move of the off season, but it would be safe to assume that Kobe has respect for his long time rival and would enjoy having him on the team.
When it is all set in done, I think the Clippers will be Pierce’s number one option if he were to have his name in a Staples Center’s locker room.
Sports Minded 