Paul Pierce has reached a crossroads in his career, and he’s got some difficult decisions to make, starting with whether he still wants to play basketball.
If Pierce does want to continue his remarkable career, Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley is hopeful Pierce once again dons Celtics green before he hangs ’em up.
“I would love it if he came back here,” Bradley said Monday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “To me, Paul is always going to be a Boston Celtic. The things he was able to accomplish over his time here, they were just amazing. I’m sure all the Boston fans would love that as well.”
Pierce showed this spring that he’s still capable of being a valuable contributor. The 37-year-old averaged just 11.9 points per game in his first season with the Washington Wizards, but he was vital to the Wizards’ playoff run. Pierce averaged just under 15 points per game in the postseason, and made a handful of big, big shots.
Pierce signed a two-year contract with the Wizards last summer, but the second year of the deal is a player option. Conceivably, Pierce could opt out of that contract and become a free agent. If he did opt out, it would be interesting to see if there would be interest on the Celtics’ part. Pierce could end up being a valuable veteran leader who could still give some good minutes to a young, up-and-coming team.
“Paul is Boston Celtics’ culture,” Bradley added in his Sports Hub interview. “One thing that Brad Stevens is able to do, that same culture we had when (former head coach Doc Rivers) was here, it’s (still here); you go out and leave it all out on the floor for your teammates. If he came back it would be the same, and that’s the kind of player Paul is anyways. He plays hard every game.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
