Paul Pierce made the Brooklyn Nets look confusing.
It was barely a year ago that the Nets were selling fans on a mortgaged future because it meant the arrivals of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd. Two of those guys are now gone, the most noteworthy of whom is Pierce. He left for the Washington Wizards after one year in Brooklyn, confusing the hell out of, well, yours truly.
Details surrounding his departure have been scarce. We know he complimented the Wizards last season. We’ve heard that the Nets didn’t even offer him a contract because they were shackled by terrifying tax bills. Most of what we know, or think we know, is pure speculation. Until Monday.
General manager Billy King finally addressed the Pierce situation, offering some insight into why Pierce was driven to the arms of the Wizards, per the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy:
“We did (want to bring Pierce back). That was the plan of attack and I think as we started negotiating, the numbers that they asked for were, you know,” King said in his first comments on Pierce’s departure. “And I thought at one point that he was definitely leaving. And then you started switching gears because you start hearing that he’s going to end up at a different place. So then you start preparing. And then when he came back to us (to try to negotiate again), we already moved on.
“I think it was his first time being a free agent so he was exploring all his options. There were a lot of teams that they didn’t put offers on the table, but were talking to him. And I really thought he was going to end up some place else. And then, I don’t know who was it, but one player signed and things quickly changed. And we were already preparing that he wasn’t coming back.”
That’s GM-speak for “Yes, that’s correct. We didn’t offer him a contract.” That’s what this sounds like anyway. And if that’s what this is, it’s freaking weird.
After all that trouble the Nets went to acquiring Pierce and Garnett, it seems they gave up on the former rather easily. One would think that, with Garnett expected to return, the Nets would have the inside track. The two are friends. Given the opportunity to stay together, they would…right?
Maybe it was as simple as Pierce asking for too much. Or maybe he saw a better opportunity with the Wizards, knowing full well Deron Williams is a fallen star, Joe Johnson is only Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez plays on cardboard ankles and Garnett is basically done. Or maybe he was just fed up with the Nets in general, discouraged and disheartened by last season’s performance and their lack of immediate wiggle room.
Whatever it was that drove Pierce out of Brooklyn, he’s gone. So is Shaun Livingston. The Nets are bogged down by health, age and general performance questions as well.
Next season, then, is going to be telling.
Good or bad, beautiful or ugly, it’s going to be telling.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
