The Washington Wizards' dream of a lengthy playoff run was cut short when Paul Pierce's 3-point shot to tie the game was called off and the Atlanta Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now the Wizards are left trying to figure out exactly how they can improve with tight salary cap space and players potentially exiting. The first order of business will be to decide the future of Pierce and then explore help in free agency.
Following their Game 6 loss in the semi-finals of the playoffs, Pierce sounded like a man ready to retire. The guard made it clear that he really was not sure he wanted to return and play basketball again, but then again asking him following a heart breaking loss was possibly not the best time to determine the future of a career. While head coach Randy Wittman remains confident that Pierce returns, he certainly did not sound the same.
"I don't know if I'm even going to play basketball anymore. These seasons gets harder and harder the older you get," said Pierce, via the Washington Post. "It's tough rolling out of that bed every year, every day. Summers get even harder when you start getting back in shape. I'm 37 years old. ... It's a lot of things I'll talk to my family about and just figure out from there. I love my time in Washington. It's a lot to think about right now."
According to CSNNE.com, Pierce has been mentoring Otto Porter to replace him, something that was clear during the postseason when the young star showed major improvement. While John Wall and Bradley Beal would love for Pierce to return, Porter is not a bad option. If Pierce is gone, who joins the Wizards in return?
According to ESPN.com, the Wizards intend to build around Wall and Beal. Getting in front court help is necessary considering Nene will be 33 and in the final year of his contract. Team sources report that Atlanta's DeMarre Carroll will be highly sought after. DeAndre Jordan is wishful thinking while Tyson Chandler or Roy Hibbert could be affordable options.
The Washington Post allows the entertainment of the idea of Kevin Durant. Would the Wizards trade for Durant? There is a chance that the Oklahoma City Thunder get panicked that Durant might leave in free agency and attempt to trade him much like the Minnesota Timberwolves did with Kevin Love. Getting Durant in a trade would cost the Wizards likely more than they want to give up, but the idea cannot be ignored.