Paul Pierce is part of a generation of NBA players inching towards retirement. With free agency right around the corner, the forward must decide exactly what his future looks like as Father Time starts to take over. After the Brooklyn Nets' season ended quicker than anticipated, Piece is left still looking for a chance to win another championship. However, he admits the window is quickly closing for him.
Pierce is admitting that his time in the NBA is coming to a close rather quickly. According to TMZ Pierce said, "It's a long grind. It's a long grind dawg...I only got 1 or 2 years left in me." While Pierce is not exactly old at 36, he has suffered more injuries in the past two seasons than ever before. With 148 playoff games to his name, he has a lot of extra mileage on his body slowing him down.
Pierce has not really hinted at what he plans on doing in free agency. At the end of the Nets' season he simply said that he was not retiring, but was uncertain about a return to Brooklyn. The one player that could impact that decision is Kevin Garnett. According to the New York Post, Garnett plans on exercising his $10 million player option with the Nets and return for one more season rather than opting for retirement. Pierce and Garnett were a package deal in a trade from the Boston Celtics. They intended on being traded together and could decide to finish their careers together.
Any team in championship mode will target Pierce. The forward can still be productive and while he will not sign for a cheap price, he could be a missing piece to the puzzle. It is very likely that any team who misses out on signing a player like Carmelo Anthony will quickly look to Pierce. That means his options are endless if he decides to part ways with Brooklyn and Garnett.
The New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls are all options for Pierce, along with the Nets. All of the teams listed are heavily in pursuit of players like Anthony and Kevin Love so they will need backup options should negotiations sour. Pierce is the perfect candidate. He will not require a long-term contract which means he could really sign anywhere.
