After one year in Brooklyn, Paul Pierce is moving on to the Washington Wizards, Marc Stein of ESPN first reported last night. He has agreed to sign for two years and close to $11 million after Trevor Ariza had moved on from the Wiz to join the Rockets.
Stein reports Pierce will sign for two years at $11 million; Pierce made $15 million in his lone season with Brooklyn. The Truth has a player option for the second year, which means he can become a free agent next summer.
The $11 million figure comes in a little high, if Grantland’s Zach Lowe is right that the Wiz used a full mid level exception to sign Pierce. He’ll make $5.305 million in the first year and if he gets the 4.5 percent max allowable raise in the second year, it’ll equal $10,848,725, or more than $150K short of the $11 million figure.
Pierce deal is for full mid level w opt out after first year, source says
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 13, 2014
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The Nets balked at paying upwards of $20 million in luxury taxes were they to re-sign Pierce, the New York Post‘s Tim Bontemps reports:
Nets had the chance to re-sign Pierce and passed, according to league sources. Would have cost them upwards of $20 million in luxury taxes.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 13, 2014
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Bontemps adds that Pierce’s signing with Washington will not impact Kevin Garnett‘s decision to come back for Brooklyn in what will be his 20th year for the future NBA Hall of Famer.
League sources say Pierce moving on will not impact Kevin Garnett's decision to return for a 20th NBA season. Nets expect him back.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 13, 2014
David Aldridge of NBA.com reports that the Wiz weren’t Pierce’s first choice, with him looking to re-sign with the Nets or head to Los Angeles and team up with his former coach, Doc Rivers, and the Clippers. Except, the Truth looked at the Wiz a little closer, and saw they were a pretty good team:
Pierce's first choice wasn't D.C. He wanted LA or Nets. But as he looked at Wiz closer he said 'they're a pretty good team,' per source.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 13, 2014
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Pierce and John Wall exchanged pleasantries over Twitter after the news broke:
Obama , J Wall here I come
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) July 13, 2014
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Welcome the truth @paulpierce34 to Dc…#wizkids !!
— John Wall (@John_Wall) July 13, 2014
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Good move by the Wiz?
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