Paul Pierce just entered himself into the middle of the free-agent race late last night.
NBA experts primarily left Pierce out of all the free agency talks because they believed the Boston swingman would naturally stay with the Celtics.
That might not be the case, however.
By opting out of his contract and deciding to test the waters of free agency, Pierce leaves Boston in a tough position.
Boston must now give him more than the $21.5 million that he was owed, next season. The most they can give him now is $96 million over four years, while other teams can only offer him $93 million in that span.
The move leaves Boston at an awkward spot. On top of Pierce's venture into free agency, Ray Allen's contract is up, and Doc Rivers is still deciding whether he wants to come back.
All that luster from a long playoff run has seemed to wear off. It looks like the Big Three may be done in Boston after a highly-successful run.
So what are the Celtics to do? Pierce has called Boston home his whole career and has been one of the franchise's most important players.
However, he won't come cheap.
Allen has been an essential factor over the last few years in Boston. His leadership and clut ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Will Frasure
NBA Free Agents 2010: Will Boston Celtics Keep Paul Pierce Or Ray Allen?
June 30th, 2010 by Will Frasure Leave a reply »
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