Clippers and Nets talking Pierce sign and trade?
According to probasketballtalk.com's Kurt Helin, the Clippers and Nets have had preliminary talks regarding a sign and trade that would reunite Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce.
Ramona Shelburne and Ohm Youngmisuk report from ESPN:
And while the Clippers could simply sign Pierce as a free agent using their midlevel exception at $5.3 million, they are interested in pursuing sign and trade scenarios that would allow Brooklyn to get something in return for the 10 time All-Star and because the Clippers already have so many small forwards....
The Clippers likely would include some combination of Jared Dudley, Matt Barnes, and last year's first-round pick, Reggie Bullock, according to sources.
However, a conflicting report states that the talks essentially had no traction:
Probably not the first to report this, but the #Nets-#Clippers S&T talks on Pierce cannot even be described as "talks." Nets had no interest
— Alex Raskin (@alexraskinNYC) July 3, 2014Nevertheless, if Paul is willing to leave some money on the table and head to Los Angeles as a free agent, he could do so. It is unclear as to how receptive Pierce or long-time friend Kevin Garnett are to newly hired coach Lionel Hollins, which may be a factor in Paul's decision.
Stay tuned to Celticslife.com for more.
For more 2014 free agency coverage, click here
