The Clippers believe they have a real chance of stealing Paul Pierce away from the Nets now that Jason Kidd is no longer coaching in Brooklyn, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Of course, it has been long speculated that Pierce could be tempted by a reunion with former coach Doc Rivers.
Besides the Clippers, the Blazers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Mavericks, and Rockets all reached out to Pierce tonight, Stein tweets.
Kidd was dealt to the Bucks this week in exchange for a pair of second round draft picks. The guard-turned-coach reportedly made a power play for personnel control and possibly a more lucrative contract and was denied. At that stage, the Nets granted Kidd permission to talk with the Bucks about their opening. It wasn’t long before Bucks co-owner and former Nets minority owner Marc Lasry had a framework in place for Kidd to replace coach Larry Drew.
Pierce has made nearly $185MM in his career, per Basketball-Reference, so he could certainly afford to take less money to head west and join the Clippers.
Wonder if the Clips would try and make a trade for Garnett. He loves playing for Doc, and gives a lot for a team. His ability to stretch the floor a bit makes him almost impossible to defend even late in his career. When he’s on, he’s tough to stop. I loved watching him in Boston. Top notch player.