Paul Pierce rumors: Brooklyn Nets not interested in sign-and-trade
Just one year ago, the Boston Celtics were in the process of breaking up their championship team. With guard Ray Allen having moved on the year before, head coach Doc Rivers took the same position with the Los Angeles Clippers, choosing a team that is close to being a legitimate contender over the rebuilding Celtics.
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Rivers tried to swing a deal to bring his remaining two Hall-of-Famers, swingman Paul Pierce and big man Kevin Garnett with him but no deal was completed and the Celtics wound up trading Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets. Garnett is leaning towards returning for the final year of his contract, which is worth $12 million. Pierce has a lot more freedom. He is an unrestricted free agent and has been speaking with Rivers about joining the Clippers.
However, according to Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal, the Nets are not interested in working out a sign-and-trade for Pierce, reporting what has gone one can’t be described as “talks” and that the Nets have “no interest.”
Aside from the Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers are all very interested in Pierce.
Pierce averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 45.1% from the field, 37.3% from the three and 82.6% from the free throw line last season. Pierce was originally drafted by the Celtics with the 10th-overall pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. In his career, he has averaged 21.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.7% from the floor, 37.0% from beyond the arc and 80.7% from the charity stripe.