Doc Rivers: Paul Pierce considered signing with Celtics this summer
Paul Pierce nearly signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent earlier this summer, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said.
Pierce was said to be seriously weighing two options: his playing home of Boston, or his hometown of Los Angeles. Ultimately, he choose to accept a two-year, $10-million offer to reunite with Rivers.
"You know, I think he wanted to go one of two places: One, he'd come back (to Boston), or he wanted to finish his career at home where he grew up," Rivers told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.
Pierce's illustrious career with the Celtics needs no introduction. The future Hall of Famer has 10 All-Star nods, four All-NBA team nominations, and won a title for Boston in his 15 seasons with the team. Pierce ranks third in games played, second in points, and first in franchise history in steals.
Needless to say, Pierce returning home after splitting two seasons between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards would have made for a Hollywood ending.
However, the Clippers offered Pierce something the Celtics couldn't - one last chance to compete for a championship before the 37-year-old hangs up his sneakers.
Between Pierce, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and a revamped bench, the Clippers are primed for a long overdue championship run.
Pierce, no stranger to postseason play, will factor heavily into the Clippers' success. However, his exact role - beyond nailing big shots - is unclear, admits Rivers.
"I don't know how we're gonna do it with Paul," said Rivers. "Like, I don't even know if I'm gonna start him. It's gonna be interesting. I think it's gonna be great. I just don't know yet. We have a lot of (good) players, which is great."
Rivers did tip his hand in regards to managing Pierce's minutes and playing him as a smallball four, which he did to great effect in Washington and Brooklyn
"Paul, I don't want to overuse him. I know that. So, I don't even know how we are going to use him yet. I want to play him at (power forward) a lot. What I want him to be is healthy in the playoffs."
Pierce is a crafty player who understands the nuances of playing undersized at power forward. He uses his size well on the block and his defensive positioning is tremendous for a player of his age.
Regardless of how Rivers deploys Pierce, there's no doubting the 17-year veteran can still produce, especially on the biggest stage. Pierce averaged 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in the playoffs last season while shooting 52.4 percent from deep on 6.3 tries per game.