http://twitter.com/STEIN_LINE_HQ Just filed to ESPN.com: Celtics' Paul Pierce is opting out, too. Has notified Celts he'll become unrestricted free agent. Link forthcoming
Boston is imploding. Doc going to come back? It's going to be brutal seeing Pierce in a Knicks uniform.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5341636 Add one more marquee name to the most anticipated free-agent class in NBA history: Paul Pierce. Pierce's agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that Pierce has notified the Boston Celtics that he will opt out of the final year of his contract before Wednesday's deadline to do so, which will make Pierce an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. "Pierce is opting out" said Schwartz in a text message to Sheridan. By opting out, Pierce will forfeit next season's $21.5 million salary but becomes eligible to sign a new four-year deal with the Celtics worth a maximum of $96 million and can receive four-year offers from other teams worth a maximum $93 million. Pierce's name has scarcely been mentioned in the buildup to the summer of 2010 free-agent bonanza because, as with Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, most rival executives believe that the Celtics would never allow the go-to scorer of the 2008 championship team to walk. Sources said that Pierce will begin free agency by talking first to the Celtics when the market opens on Thursday at 12:01 a.m., but the 32-year-old will field other offers. External interest in Pierce is hard to gauge because there has been so little discussion in recent months about his potential free agency and because of the heavy load he has carried for the Celtics in recent seasons. Yet Pierce just played a pivotal role in helping Boston to reach the NBA Finals and take the Los Angeles Lakers to seven grueling games as a No. 4 seed in the East. Asked recently to gauge the likelihood of re-signing Pierce, Celtics vice president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said last week on WEEI Radio in Boston: "I don't know because he may be able to get a long-term contract somewhere else. It may be better than what we have [to offer]." Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.
I kinda figured this was coming with the uncertainty of the upcoming CBA. All the agents seem to be advising an opt out for their clients.
Ken Berger is insinuating that with Pierce opting out this leaves the Celtics with max to spend on let's say LeBron? http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/22889586
He isn't the heart of the team anymore. The team goes as Rondo goes. It will be interesting to see what Pierce does. If he's expecting a big contract, I don't think he'll get it.
