NBA veteran Paul Pierce said he originally wanted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers over the Washington Wizards, but because the Brooklyn Nets made him wait in free agency, he "missed the boat" to rejoin coach Doc Rivers.
Pierce signed a two-year deal worth $11 million this offseason with Washington, but that wouldn't have been his first pick. The 37-year-old acknowledged he originally planned on playing another season with Kevin Garnett in Brooklyn.
"I thought I would be back in Brooklyn. Talking to Kevin (Garnett), we created a bond over the years and I said I would come back and finish it out with him," Pierce told Sports Illustrated. "Things didn't go the way we wanted, obviously. Brooklyn went in a different direction. I had to make a choice."
His second choice, after Brooklyn, was joining Rivers in Los Angeles. Pierce admitted because he waited on Brooklyn to re-sign him as a free agent, he missed out on the opportunity to rejoin his former coach.
"I thought a lot about L.A. My wife wanted to stay there and put the kids in school. It would have been an easier transition for me being with Doc, being at home," the Los Angeles native said. "I think I missed out on that opportunity by waiting to see what Brooklyn was going to do. When they eventually said they weren't going to make any moves, I missed that boat. That kind of upset me."
Pierce has produced steadily for Washington, averaging 11.9 points and 5.0 rebounds through the team's first seven games. Similar to how ex-Wizard Trevor Ariza benefitted from pass-first point guard John Wall, Pierce could have a resurgent season.
