Paul Pierce plans to come back for at least one more season with the Los Angeles Clippers, though nothing official has been announced, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Nothing official, but person close to Paul Pierce says he intends to play next season.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) July 9, 2016
Pierce will turn 39 years old in October and has already put together a Hall of Fame career throughout his 18 years in the NBA.
As a bench player for the Clippers last year, he averaged just over 18 minutes per night, putting up 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist per game.
It’s a stark contrast to what we saw throughout his career with the Boston Celtics, with whom he averaged 21.8 points, six rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. But since leaving that storied franchise his minutes have declined each year.
With that in mind, should this report prove true and Pierce does return, it will likely be in a mentorship role with limited minutes once again.
Still, that means plenty for a team that continues to fight against the grain in the Western Conference currently dominated by the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. To this point, the Clippers have yet to make it past conference semifinals at any point in franchise history.
Pierce has a strong relationship with head coach Doc Rivers from their time spent together in Boston. Having him continue to stick around could potentially help the Clippers finally get over this troublesome hump.