How many years left for Pierce? And restructuring contract..

[campybatman]

Because I don't expect him to remain a starter with Boston for as long as he's here. He could... But I guess his role is what would be what immediately decreases. I don't know, I reckon it'll depend on the quality of players starting around him by season to season. For example, will Rondo still be his teammate in the foreseeable future. There's no doubt that he and ownership desire for him to retire a Celtic. Still, the question I wonder is: How many more years will Pierce decide to continue playing, and when will there be a noticeable drop-off in skills? Well, that's expected... As long as his decline isn't detrimental to the team going forward. He'll always have his issues with turnovers but, again, the players Boston gets (and develops) now and in years to come could help determine what Pierce's place will be with this franchise for the remainder of his career. I believe he can still start and contribute in his thirties, but I won't be surprised if he can't anymore (minutes wise) or he decides himself to defer his starting position to a younger player (draft pick or free agent). I think only Garnett can last as long as K. Malone as a starter. He and Duncan have a lot of minutes played in each of their careers. But I would think Garnett is more apt than Pierce to remain Boston's starter at that position for however long they're with Boston. I believe Parish was a starter with Boston for a while as well.

Asked about hitting 32, Pierce smiled and said, “Am I? I lost track. I don’t really know what 32 feels like. I’ll let you know (today).”

But to read the team’s captain as blissfully unaware would be only half correct. He’s certainly happy these days, but as much as he knows where he is, he has considered the road ahead. And it includes a lot more basketball. Pierce joked with Rivers the other day that he wanted to play another eight years, “so you’ve got to stay here as coach at least that long.”

In fact, his plans are a bit more modest.

“I always said my goal was to play until I was 36, but my goals can change,” Pierce said. “My contract is up when I’m 33, so we’ll see from there. But hopefully I can play three more years after that, and if I’m in good shape and I’m taking care of my body, then maybe I’ll play more.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really given it much thought. I’m just playing it out.”

Pierce’s first decision will come next summer, but it really isn’t much of one at all. He’s on the books for this season at just less than $19.8 million, and it’s his option whether he wants to stay for the 2010-11 campaign at just more than $21.5 million. Seeing that it would be pretty much impossible for him to get that one-year salary elsewhere, he probably won’t be calling any moving vans.

“Yeah, I think he’ll take the money,” Rivers said with a laugh.

The only realistic issue would be if the situation here changes and Pierce is lured by a long-term deal that allows him to recoup anything lost next year down the line. Either that or a sudden loss of sense.

“I might get hit in the head,” Pierce said. “You never know.

“I don’t know yet,” he continued. “Maybe I might leave my options open. Hey, what if they trade Kevin (Garnett) and Ray (Allen) and Rasheed (Wallace) away? What if they trade everybody? You want me to be here on a 15-win team? I already did that.”

Pierce stopped laughing in time to add, “Truthfully, I’ll evaluate everything at the end of the year. I’ll talk to Danny (Ainge, general manager). But, you know, I’ve always said I want to end my career as a Celtic.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... is_future/

[SonicYouth34]

He doesn't really rely on athleticism or anything that deteriorates with age. Plus he's an iron man and isn't injury prone. I think he's got 4 good years left and two or three decent ones.

[Hemingway]

He could probably start another 3 seasons. In 4 years I bet he would be better than most teams worse starter.

[hairybyrd]

4 and 4

[bendyone]

I think with the advances in cloning he could potentially start for ever!

But seriously....3 years.....with a replacement/under study bought in (via draft/trade) prehaps after next year....and NO...Skywalker aint his future replacement

[Scalamental]

Over or under 2.5 years starting? I say under

[campybatman]

I certainly appreciate Pierce and hope that his career nears to an end pleasantly. That is to say, he won't be shortchanged by a significant injury.

I try not to think of who'll replace Pierce someday, and enjoy the player we've now. Still, that's an unsettlingly thought: Boston might not have an All-Star at small forward for a while after Paul Pierce.

So yeah, I hope it's at least four or five years from now before we begin to say, Paul Pierce isn't walking through that door. But it might still be a long time before you'll hear that. I expect Pierce to stick around somehow. Maybe visit Massachusetts once in a while to catch a game as a fan. That is, assuming Boston is still relevant in the NBA by then.

[GuyClinch]

FWIW I believe players can play much later now if they want too. Age related decline is exaggerated - what happens is guys accumulate many little injuries and let their body get out of shape. Trainers nowadays can really help extend a guys window if said player puts in the effort.

Pete

[ryaningf]

FWIW I believe players can play much later now if they want too. Age related decline is exaggerated - what happens is guys accumulate many little injuries and let their body get out of shape. Trainers nowadays can really help extend a guys window if said player puts in the effort.

Pete

What Pete said.

It's all up to Pierce. His game isn't built on athleticism anyway--he could easily play till he's forty, if he puts in the effort.

[campybatman]

I wonder if Pierce has his sights on moving up on any particular all-time list categories in Celtics history. This could motivate him to play longer than expected too.

I wouldn't think it'll be too selfish to want to have your name ranked somewhere important.

[Hilltop]

I say he'll play 2 more years at this level. He'll begin to regress after that (though I can easily see him playing til around 36 or 37).

[SichtingLives]

Paul will still be able to create and draw fouls even as he begins to slow down in a couple years. If anything he'll get even more crafty at drawing contact as his athleticism starts eroding, which will delay any major detriment he may have to the team. He won't be as effective getting to the hoop as he was in his prime or now, but his shooting efficiency has really seemed to improve the last few years. If he can maintain a similar level of marksmanship, stay relatively healthy and keep in good shape I don't see why he can't still be an effective player for 5 years and starting for 2 or 3 beyond this season.

Eventually he won't still be the #1 option he was or have the same presence in the offense that he does right now, but I can't see a guy like Pierce losing his skills to the point where he can't be an effective starter in the NBA at some level. I think the year Pierce is relegated to a bench role is when he'll really start to consider retirement, unless he's still playing on a championship caliber team.

[GuyClinch]

It's become routine for athletes to extend their career into their late 30s. 36 is actually a modest goal. Many guys quit because the work involved (which is great) no longer matches the reward. You see this in every sport.

A guy like Pete Sampras could still play tennis on the tour. But the effort involved compared to the rewards gained becomes an awful combination. Truth is as any sufficently succesful athlete knows its just absolute pure EFFORT that you need to put out to compete at a high level.

I think Paul like alot of athletes has the ability to play into his late 30's. Whether he wants to do so in reality is an open question. The "super freak" guys now think about playing into their 40s. Look at Junior Seau who is coming back to the Patriots..

Pete

[guess_wh0]

2 years.

PP doesn't have a sweet jump-shot like Ray Allen to play that long. He relies on his quickness and strength to get to the line, that usually declines with age.

[campybatman]

I think if Pierce was asked to be the team's sixth man, he wouldn't object to the idea. I don't think that would bother Pierce. Well, as long as he's making this transition while still a Celtic. He'll retire if he'd to do it for another team. That's understandable. Some players differ...

You've Finley, but then you've G. Hill. Some players age better than others.

Fans would've to come to terms with a fading star, not the star necessarily. Fortunately, Pierce has already accomplished a lot in his NBA career. And he has one ring more than those who've never won one.

[GuyClinch]

PP doesn't have a sweet jump-shot like Ray Allen to play that long. He relies on his quickness and strength to get to the line, that usually declines with age.

Nah. Basketball players are basketball players. Paul's J isn't as nice as Ray's - don't get me wrong but its certainly respectable. And at the same time Ray Allen does use quickness and strength out there on the court. Many of his shots come off the dribble. And even his few catch and shoot attempts (I actually think Pierce is more willing to do this) do rely on some speed and quickness to get to a spot..

Message board posters are just way to extreme with their various designations of athletes. Whatever characteristic they have a bit more of gets exaggerated to the hilt. Larry Bird is the perfect example. You might think the dude was the slowest guy in the world who played chess out there on the court. In reality - you know what LB in his youth actually moved pretty well for a 6'9" dude.

Of course RA knows this. That's why he works his *ss off to stay in the best physical condition. This is to maximize his athletic ablity at his age.

Pete

[Hilltop]

I think if Pierce was asked to be the team's sixth man, he wouldn't object to the idea. I don't think that would bother Pierce. Well, as long as he's making this transition while still a Celtic. He'll retire if he'd to do it for another team. That's understandable. Some players differ...

You've Finley, but then you've G. Hill. Some players age better than others.

Fans would've to come to terms with a fading star, not the star necessarily. Fortunately, Pierce has already accomplished a lot in his NBA career. And he has one ring more than those who've never won one.

It's not so much about age than it is mileage. In the case of Grant Hill, even at 36, he hasn't had a lot of mileage on those legs. Sure those multiple ankle surgeries took a toll on his overall athleticism, but that nearly 4-year hiatus spared him from burning himself out earlier. He's not the same player he was pre-injury, but I think he's still in great shape it doesn't seem like he's contemplating retirement just yet. Before he got injured, he was on pace to have accumulated at least a thousand games by now. If that were the case, I think he would be a lot closer to hanging them up by now. Maybe a la Jason Kidd.

[campybatman]

I remember a while back I wondered if this could be done of Pierce's final year to help alleviate things for Boston's cap situation. I talked about it... But I was speaking hypothetically. I didn't know Pierce and Ainge could actually do something if Pierce is indeed serious about this.

Read a pretty provocative item on HoopsHype on Wednesday about Paul Pierce saying he’s prepared “to re-work his contract to keep players in Boston.”

Which would be a rather helpful development given that Ray Allen is in the final year of his contract and hoping for a new one, while Rajon Rondo remains hopeful of landing a contract extension this month before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Only one problem.

Restructuring contracts in the NBA can only happen when a team is under the salary cap and almost never happen even then. The Celtics, of course, are more than $14 million over the luxury-tax line this season, so it’s somewhat of a moot point in this case.

Pierce, though, would have two options if he wants to save the Celts some money:

1) The 2008 NBA Finals MVP can sign an extension at any time over the next two seasons that kicks in starting with 2011-12, but league rules say that the first-year salary in a new deal can only be reduced by a maximum of 10.5 percent from the $21.5 million Pierce is owed in 2010-11. That means the starting salary in an extension could only drop to $19.3 million.

UPDATE: My initial info from a cap expert on the first option has since been amended by another cap expert. More drastic reductions in salary are permissible in extensions, as seen recently when Washington’s Antawn Jamison went from $16.4 million to $9.9 million in the first year of his Wizards extension in 2008-09 ... and when Pierce’s teammate Kevin Garnett went from $24.8 million in the final year of his last Minnesota contract to $16.4 million with Boston last season.

2) Pierce could take the unlikely and rarely seen step of opting out of his contract after this season, leaving next season’s $21.5 million on the table and signing a long-term deal at a reduced rate.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_ ... s-contract

[Hilltop]

I would love to restructure Lewrich's contract

[GuyClinch]

It's not so much about age than it is mileage. In the case of Grant Hill, even at 36, he hasn't had a lot of mileage on those legs. Sure those multiple ankle surgeries took a toll on his overall athleticism, but that nearly 4-year hiatus spared him from burning himself out earlier. He's not the same player he was pre-injury, but I think he's still in great shape it doesn't seem like he's contemplating retirement just yet. Before he got injured, he was on pace to have accumulated at least a thousand games by now. If that were the case, I think he would be a lot closer to hanging them up by now. Maybe a la Jason Kidd.

Mileage might play a factor but its a small one IMHO. Reggie Miller is a good counter example -he played longer then Hill has and could have even played longer then he did had he been do inclined. I actually think Reggie Lewis would have aged really well too had he not gotten injured.

Obviously you need to be a highly skilled player but being motivated is a huge factor along with the superior training/rehab/injury prevention methods they have nowadays. LB and McHale would have both played longer had they been stars of this era..

Pete