Pierce signs 2-year deal with Wizards

JCizzle

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Well, this will motivate me to drag my ass down to the Verizon center at least a few times this year.
 

Kliq

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I like the move by the Wizards. Pierce still has something left in the tank, can still score on iso's against most defenders, and at the very least, will knock down an above-average rate of threes. He should also supply a great veteran leadership for a team with a lot of great young talent that can benefit from playing with him.
 
Sucks he won't be in Boston though.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Glad to see Pierce returning on a nice multi-year deal. Perhaps he'll sign a 1-day deal with the Celts when his day does come to retire as a Celtic.
 

radsoxfan

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Seems a little weird.  Thought Pierce might get more than the mid level exception from someone.  
 
And if the best he could do is the mid-level exception, surprised he ended up on the Wizards.
 
Wasn't there some quote recently that the Nets were willing to offer 6-8 million/year, but Pierce wanted more?
 

oumbi

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A total surprise, something I did not expect at all. Good luck to Pierce, and may his departure reek havoc and harm upon Brooklyn's w/l record, thereby helping the Celtics obtain good position in future drafts.
 

HomeRunBaker

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radsoxfan said:
Seems a little weird.  Thought Pierce might get more than the mid level exception from someone.  
 
And if the best he could do is the mid-level exception, surprised he ended up on the Wizards.
 
Wasn't there some quote recently that the Nets were willing to offer 6-8 million/year, but Pierce wanted more?
I suspect that was Pierce's nice way of saying there isn't a chance in hell I'm returning to this trainwreck. This makes perfect sense for the Wizards and a nice opportunity for Pierce to accelerate the maturation of the leagues best young backcourt.
 

Rocco Graziosa

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I had hopes the Celtics would be able to lure Pierce back with a Tim Wakefield like contract.......one year MLE, with a player option for as long as he wants to play. Then a promise of a front office position post career and maybe even take over for Ainge eventually. Does Pierce say no to that?
Instead he signs with the Wizzards. He essentially is replacing Trevor Ariza, who signed with the Rockets. The problem is, at his age, Pierce won't be able to provide the same production as Ariza and the Wizzards, who won a whopping 44 games last season will probably be worse.

If the Celtics didn't offer him a contract I don't get it. If Pierce didn't want to return under those conditions I don't get it. If the Celtics didn't want him under those conditions I really don't get it.
 
 
So Pierce goes from the Celtics to the Nets, which was a complete failure, then decides to finish (presumably) his career in Washington.
 
 
I just don't get it.  But I don't get a lot of things so whatever.  I just hope eventually Pierce returns and we don't have another situation like Bird.  
 

jose melendez

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This makes me sad that I'll probably be gone from DC before PP arrives.
 
Wizards are stuck at, at best, conference finals.  Still a good signing for them.
 

HomeRunBaker

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jose melendez said:
Wizards are stuck at, at best, conference finals.  Still a good signing for them.
Just over 2 years ago the Wizards lineup included JaVale McGhee, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford, and Andray Blatche......the year before that Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas were drawing guns on each other in the locker room.

I'll say being "stuck" at the Conference Finals is a slight ascend from those recent days.

Edit: Nostalgia aside, Pierce returning to the Celtics as our entire roster is presently a salary fodder turnstile didn't make any sense to me last year nor does it today.....for either side.
 

dcmissle

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HomeRunBaker said:
Just over 2 years ago the Wizards lineup included JaVale McGhee, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford, and Andray Blatche......the year before that Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas were drawing guns on each other in the locker room.

I'll say being "stuck" at the Conference Finals is a slight ascend from those recent days.

Edit: Nostalgia aside, Pierce returning to the Celtics as our entire roster is presently a salary fodder turnstile didn't make any sense to me last year nor does it today.....for either side.
May I add, this clown squad also taking a dump in each other's shoes in the locker room? Along with the famous Steve Spurrier quotes, this is DC gold.

I am happy for Pierce and the Wiz. This is a good group. Look forward to seeing PP
 

Awesome Fossum

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jose melendez said:
Wizards are stuck at, at best, conference finals.  Still a good signing for them.
The Wizards haven't won their DIVISION since the 70s. They'll take it.

Besides, their path to a championship is staying competitive for two years, keeping long term cap flexibility, and then signing DC native Kevin Durant in summer 2016. This deal fits in perfectly with that plan.
 

riboflav

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I think it's sad to watch a hall of famer bounce around mediocre teams at the end of his career.
 

Reardon's Beard

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Good for Paul. If he wasn't going to play with Doc I can't think of a more ideal spot for him to help shape and mold a young team on the ascent. I did think he'd get more money somewhere, but my guess is that if it wasn't LAC, he wanted to stay East Coast based.
 

knucklecup

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riboflav said:
I think it's sad to watch a hall of famer bounce around mediocre teams at the end of his career.
 
It's a good role for him.
 
He's a better player than Ariza (especially when Ariza isn't playing for his next contract) and a tremendous veteran presence for Wall and Beal.
 
Also, is Washington any less closer to a title than his other options were?  The East is easier than the West.  Going to the Clippers is certainly no sure thing.  The Bulls got worked by this team in the playoffs, and we have no idea how Rose will come back.
 
Miami will be significantly worse next season.  In Cleveland; while Lebron is the greatest player to ever play the game, he still is going back to the same situation he once left, a roster devoid of talent where he's going to be relied upon to do everything, essentially by himself, while Irving/Waiters spat with eachother, while Wiggins and Bennett develop, etc.
 
Still have to let the offseason play out and haven't seen any figures since the Pierce acquisition but Washington could be a nice ECF Finals winner futures bet if the odds are right.
 

HomeRunBaker

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riboflav said:
I think it's sad to watch a hall of famer bounce around mediocre teams at the end of his career.
The Pistons are mediocre. These Wizards are EC Finals contenders.

I do get your point however I don't feel it applies here.
 

riboflav

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HomeRunBaker said:
The Pistons are mediocre. These Wizards are EC Finals contenders.

I do get your point however I don't feel it applies here.
 
That's fair. I think the Wizards at best are the 11th best team in the NBA and I would describe that as mediocre.
 
For clarity, it's sad for me to see. I don't know if PP is sad.
 

ElUno20

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With lebron going to play with kids and if the pacers lose lance, the east is pretty wide open. Why not the wiz?
 
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riboflav said:
 
That's fair. I think the Wizards at best are the 11th best team in the NBA and I would describe that as mediocre.
 
For clarity, it's sad for me to see. I don't know if PP is sad.
They're now the clear best team in the Southeast, but I hope they can play some D. Wall, Beal, Truth, Nene, and Gortat is the best offensive starting five in the East IMHO. 
 

gammoseditor

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What I don't understand is that the Nets didn't beat this offer.  Makes no sense, especially considering what they gave up for him.  And that it's not that much money.  And they're made of money.  And he's important to that team. 
 
Edit:  This could be great news for the Celtics if the Nets are getting cheap. 
 

86spike

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gammoseditor said:
What I don't understand is that the Nets didn't beat this offer.  Makes no sense, especially considering what they gave up for him.  And that it's not that much money.  And they're made of money.  And he's important to that team. 
 
Edit:  This could be great news for the Celtics if the Nets are getting cheap.
Remember how badly the Nets played in the last 5-10 minutes of their playoff games?

The old men on that team faded in epic fashion at the end of games. Pierce was a part of that. They plan to run the offense through Lopez, Williams (both of whom they hope will be fully healthy - not a given, of course) and Joe Johnson. Old guys with stamina issues will not be a focal point of the team this year, so why overpay Pierce?

Losing the 3 draft picks sucks, but it's a sunk cost and the strategy fizzled. I am on board with changing gears now after the go for broke approach was insufficient.

PP will be a nice addition to the Wiz. I like this move for him and for DC.
 

mcpickl

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gammoseditor said:
What I don't understand is that the Nets didn't beat this offer.  Makes no sense, especially considering what they gave up for him.  And that it's not that much money.  And they're made of money.  And he's important to that team. 
 
Edit:  This could be great news for the Celtics if the Nets are getting cheap. 
They're trying to get the luxury tax bill in order.
 
To match this offer, unless they cleared salary elsewhere, they'd pay Pierce 5.3M this year and about another 13M in luxury tax penalties.
 
I love Pierce, but that's a whopping price to pay for him.
 

HomeRunBaker

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gammoseditor said:
What I don't understand is that the Nets didn't beat this offer.  Makes no sense, especially considering what they gave up for him.  And that it's not that much money.  And they're made of money.  And he's important to that team. 
 
Edit:  This could be great news for the Celtics if the Nets are getting cheap. 
It also could be that Pierce had no interest in returning to Brooklyn. He was never crazy about going there in the first place.
 

Three10toLeft

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This move also keeps the Wiz from taking on any long term money, which would have been impossible to do if they tried to resign Ariza.
 
You know who is from the DC area, and will be somewhat of an important free agent in 2016 when this contract should end? Kevin Durant.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Rudy Pemberton said:
By that logic, Pierce spent most of his career on mediocre teams.
He did, though. Unless you think those Antoine teams were good. He had the KG.years, anyway.
 

khalid1973

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Anybody think with that second year being a player option that Pierce is watching what the C's have going into the '15-'16 season to possibly come back if they've made some major moves?