BOSTON — The Truth is retiring as a member of the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics announced Monday that they signed Paul Pierce to a contract so the 10-time All-Star can retire with the team he spent his best 15 seasons in the NBA with. Pierce helped bring a championship in 2008 as part the “Big Three” of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Drafted by Boston as the 10th overall pick in 1998, Pierce started a 15-season run that is behind only John Havlicek’s 16 seasons for the most played in a Celtics uniform.
The 39-year-old retires atop the franchise’s lists in 3-point field goals (1,823), free throws (6,434) and steals (1,583). He is also is Boston’s second all-time leading scorer with 24,021 career points, trailing only Havlicek.
Pierce was traded to Brooklyn in 2013, spent the 2014-15 season in Washington and the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and former Celtics coach Doc Rivers.
ROCKETS: The team is being put up for sale, CEO Tad Brown announced hours after owner Leslie Alexander made the decision.
“It’s been my great joy and honor to own the Houston Rockets for the past 24 years,” Alexander said in a statement. “I’ve had the incredible opportunity to witness true greatness through the players and coaches who have won championships for the city, been named to All-Star and All-NBA teams, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and done so much for our franchise and our fans.”
Alexander took over as owner on July 30, 1993, and the Rockets went on to win back-to-back titles in 1994-95 behind the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. In 24 seasons under Alexander, the Rockets have won 56.9 percent of their games, fifth-highest in the league.
Brown said the 74-year-old Alexander had been approached over the years by potential buyers, but never considered it until very recently.
“I think it’s been something he’s been thinking about a little bit,” Brown said. “It can wear on you after so many decades and he’s tired. There are passions in his life now that are becoming more and more clear. His family, certainly, and his philanthropic efforts, what he’ll be able to do with his additional time and his resources on a global scale is something that he’s very much looking forward to.”
KNICKS: New York’s new regime is ready to move on with or without Carmelo Anthony.
New president Steve Mills said the Knicks have been talking to teams about a trade and will continue looking for a deal that works for the organization and its All-Star forward.
“But we also feel that Carmelo could easily be a part of our team next year, and we have to understand how we’re going to play and what the expectations of how we’re going to play, and we’re going to move forward,” Mills said. “So maybe with Carmelo or maybe without Carmelo.”
Mills also ruled out a buyout of Anthony’s contract, which has two years and about $54 million remaining and might be an easier route to a breakup than a trade.
Phil Jackson had been eager to deal Anthony before he and the Knicks parted ways last month. Mills was promoted to president and the Knicks hired Scott Perry as general manager.
They said the Knicks will focus on youth and athleticism, which doesn’t seem to leave room for the 33-year-old Anthony. But they added that veterans will still have a place in mentoring the young talent.
Anthony has a no-trade clause and has told the Knicks he would agree to a deal with Cleveland or Houston. But the Knicks don’t want to take back long-term contracts, which makes finding a deal difficult. .
GRIZZLIES: Memphis signed forward Rade Zagorac originally acquired in a draft night trade in 2016.
Terms of the deal were not announced.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Zagorac has played professionally in Serbia since 2011. The native of Belgrade, Serbia, started 23 of 26 games for KK Mega Leks in the Liga ABA where he averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds last season after being named the league’s MVP in 2015-16. He also started 11 of 12 games in Serbian BCL play.
Boston originally drafted Zagorac with the 35th pick overall in the second round before trading his rights along with the draft rights to Deyonta Davis to Memphis for a 2019 first-round pick.
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