Although it isn't written in stone, Paul Pierce has decided to return to the NBA for a 19th season, league sources told the Orange County Register.
Pierce, 38, has debated whether to retire or play a second season with the LA Clippers. His coach, Doc Rivers, has said that if Pierce decided to walk away, plans are in place for him to retire as a member of the Boston Celtics. He played the first 15 seasons of his career in Boston, nine of them for Rivers.
Rivers brought in Pierce last season as a veteran presence with knowledge of how to win an NBA championship, hoping he would be the final piece to push the Clippers over the top. But injuries to Blake Griffin and Chris Paul led to a first-round postseason exit.
Pierce has averaged 20.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in his career. After his Boston tenure, he spent one season with the Brooklyn Nets, another with the Washington Wizards and last year with the Clippers. He posted only 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season.