The veteran forward will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Celtics, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
The deadline to do so is Wednesday, and sources told ESPN.com that Pierce would be forgoing the $21.5 million he would be earning in the 2010-11 season to instead become a free agent.
While that could obviously mean Pierce could sign with any NBA team, it could also mean he is looking to work on his final contract with the Celtics, one that would allow him to retire with the team that drafted him in 1998. If he did that, he could sign a three- or four-year deal that would give him more money in the long run yet afford GM Danny Ainge a bit more wiggle room under the salary cap.
From a Boston fan's perspective, that would be a best-case scenario. Reality may prove to be something very, very different.
