Would you sign Paul Pierce in FA considering he doesnt retire?

[Robert24]

I feel split on this decision. It'd be nice to have him back here and retire as a Celtic, but at the same time, I dont want to be looking back on the past and keep with the rebuild.

[Moranis]

I would if he wanted to come back, but mostly so he could retire a Celtic.  I think Boston is still rebuilding this summer so bringing in a guy like Pierce for basketball reasons doesn't make any sense, but given he is Paul Pierce you absolutely bring him back.

[Lucky17]

I'll go a step further: I can envision a rapid rebuild by which Ainge assembles another "Big Three," with Pierce helping this potential contender as an important bench player in a combo-forward, 6th man role.

In other words, Celtics fans like me could have our cake and eat it too.

[gpap]

I'll go a step further: I can envision a rapid rebuild by which Ainge assembles another "Big Three," with Pierce helping this potential contender as an important bench player in a combo-forward, 6th man role.

In other words, Celtics fans like me could have our cake and eat it too.

Exactly...all this rebuild talk is driving me nuts.

That would also be my ideal scenario, have Pierce back as a 6th man to a championship contending team.

[mmmmm]

Obviously, the first and foremost question would be, "For how much?"

I think for something like the Lesser MLE or less, it's a no-brainer.  Two-three years for a sunset contract.  Easy.   For more money, it gets a little grey-area.

Rebuilding doesn't mean you don't need veterans.  Especially experienced veterans like Pierce who have a lot to offer when it comes to mentoring.  He'd be basically like having a "player-assistant-coach".

Pierce has pretty obviously grown way past the I-have-to-take-all-the-shots ego from years ago so I don't believe it would create any problem with disrupting the usage and development of the younger players.

If we don't pick up a young SF out of this draft, having PP to now be the backup _behind_ Green would be solid.   If, however, we pickup, say, Parker - then maybe there is a log-jam.

And of course, it would definitely not hurt ticket sales.

On the other hand, Pierce may still feel he has something to offer a more obvious contender still.   And given the way he has been playing in this half of the season, I would not be surprised if a few teams still want him.

[ManUp]

Yes, he'd be a great veteran presence and mentor. He'd be especially helpful if we got Wiggins or Parker. He could teach them some tricks of the trade and help speed up their development. Unless we plan on being this bad again next year I don't see a downside to bringing  PP back in a lessened role.

[PhoSita]

Whenever Pierce wants to retire, I say sign him to a 10 day deal, let him play a few token minutes, and then have him walk off the floor for the last time in a Celtics jersey.  That's the way it ought to be, after all.

I have very little interest in having Pierce come back here so he can play 15-20 minutes or more a night as a sixth man for a team that is still a year or three away from being any good.  Pierce is a nice veteran presence, but he can be that as a "veteran consultant" or "assistant coach" or "assistant to the general manager" or whatever.  It's my understanding Pierce wants to do work in the front office eventually, so that would make sense.

As for actual playing time, give it to somebody younger.  Hopefully we have a hungry, talented rookie or two with the chops to push Wallace out of the rotation and perhaps even make Green expendable.

[Phil125]

If we traded Jeff Green and got lucky and drafted Wiggins.  Paul Pierce would be perfect to mentor Wiggins.

[mmmmm]

If we traded Jeff Green and got lucky and drafted Wiggins.  Paul Pierce would be perfect to mentor Wiggins.

Why on earth wouldn't you want to keep _both_ Green and Wiggins?

As the SF & SG with Rondo?  That's a very complementary perimeter that would pose a huge matchup problem for most teams.    Neither Green nor Wiggins needs to always have the ball in their hands so they'll work great with Rondo and both can score from both outside and inside.  And both are long, very mobile defenders.

I doubt we are going to get Wiggins (the lottery gods have never been kind to us), but man, that's my dream outcome for enduring this season.

[pearljammer10]

I really don't think I could be swayed in an argument to have someone convince me there would be negatives to signing Paul Pierce this off season.

I think it would be 100% mutual and 100% beneficial if Pierce were to come back, especially like Lucky said, in a 6th man role with a starting 5 that could be in contention next season.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I would do it for reasons like:

1.) he was going to retire and the front office or Brad Stevens wanted to give him an assistant coaching, assistant GM or scouting position in the near future.

2.) we got Wiggins, Jabari or a promising SF with our second 1st round pick like Rodney Hood or TJ Warren and he wanted to mentor them

3.) We drafted Dario Saric with our second pick because he fell with news he wanted to stay in Europe, so we need a stop gap option for a year or two

4.) We somehow upgrade over Bradley and also somehow got a center in a move that involved getting rid of Green but not drafting a stud SF, so we suddenly just need an SF to be competitive and he wants to come for cheap

Etc.  There are plenty of scenarios where it makes perfect sense.  The only way I would be against it is if we draft Wiggins or Parker and then he demands to start all season no matter what.  Even then it could work, the 2015 draft looks pretty good too