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Paul Pierce unlikely to retire, return to Celtics in store for 2016-17 season? – Metro US
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Paul Pierce unlikely to retire, return to Celtics in store for 2016-17 season?

Paul Pierce unlikely to retire, return to Celtics in store for 2016-17
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Three years after Doc Rivers bolted Boston for Southern California, the Celtics might actually be in a better position to contend than the Clippers. Los Angeles will have to battle with the two monster teams out West next season – Golden State and San Antonio – and a trip to the Finals seems highly unlikely.

There continues to be buzz that the Clippers are seriously considering trading away Blake Griffin, leaving the franchise’s ambitions for next season up in the air. A re-tooling seems like the most likely path for Rivers and LA as recent trade rumors suggested the Clippers were interested in Sacramento’s Rudy Gay. In the proposed three-way, Griffin would be heading to the Celtics – and if that blockbuster were to go down there’s a good chance that Paul Pierce could tag along to close out his career in green.

The Clippers seemingly love having Pierce aroundbut if the Celtics began sniffing around when it came to a swap, No. 34 would surely inquire about returning to his professional home. Here’s an idea of what the Clippers and their fans think of him (via SB Nation’s Clip Nation):

“Paul Pierce’s presence around the team is certainly a good thing and he brings a lot of leadership and experience, and even though it isn’t tangible something like that can be just as value as another reliable player brought in for depth. But, he could be around the team without using a roster spot and collecting his $3.5M salary–the two important ways his decision can alter the team’s planning.

If Pierce returns, that’s one less roster spot for the Clippers to add depth. They’re already at a full 15 (including Branden Dawson’s non-guaranteed deal and the rights for second-round guys Diamond Stone and David Michineau), and they still have holes to fill. I’d like to see them add one more SF or combo F to their rotation, so that Mbah a Moute and Wesley Johnson are not the Clippers’ only options. The Clippers are also rumored to be looking for a veteran point guard to fill Pablo Prigioni’s role. So where do they find the roster spots? Well, Pierce retiring would help. They could add one more guy, and be done for the summer, or dump one prospect to add two more guys.

But, with Pierce on the roster, the Clippers will have to cut Branden Dawson or send David Michineau back to Europe for a year to free up one spot, and do both to free up two spots. That means that Pierce’s decision to play again at age 39 could alter the careers of two guys who are 16 and 17 years younger than him.

His decision will also have ramifications on Steve Ballmer’s pocketbook. The Clippers are going to end up narrowly in the category of luxury tax payers, which is regrettable, because they’ve paid the tax each of the last three seasons and are now in repeater territory (where the penalties are much higher). Avoiding the tax, if possible, helps Ballmer save a little money now and potentially a lot down the road.

If Pierce retires, the Clippers replace his $3.5M with a $980k minimum-salaried player and end up with enough breathing room under the tax line to navigate the season (about $2M). If he stays, it becomes a complex juggling act to trim $550k over the course of the season and end up under the tax.”