NBA News: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce Uncertain About Future

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

One-time NBA champion Kevin Garnett has an opportunity to make history next season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett will tie Kevin Willis for the most NBA seasons played if he decides to return for one more year.

Although Garnett is clearly not the same dominant player of old, his leadership and mentoring of the team’s talented young core of players is precious. Minnesota is a team on the rise in the Western Conference with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. Garnett’s guidance will help Towns, as well as the other up-and-comers on the team, reach their potential sooner rather than later, but he remains undecided about a possible return, according to new head coach Tom Thibodeau via Sid Hartman of Star Tribune:

No, we’re still communicating through e-mails and stuff and texting, so we’ll sit down at the appropriate time. We’ll figure it out.

Garnett’s former teammate, Paul Pierce, is in a similar holding pattern with the Los Angeles Clippers forward uncertain about his future in the league as well. Pierce had the worst season of his career with the Clippers during the 2015-16 campaign, and all signs point to retirement, but he hasn’t made up his mind as of yet, via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe:

“Well, we always say it’s 51-49. I get 51 percent of the vote and the rest of [the family] gets 49,” Pierce told The Boston Globe. “[My wife’s] input carried a lot of weight. We’ll figure out some things. I know I don’t want to be sitting at home, whatever I do, regardless. If I come back, it will be one more [season] and that will be it. No doubt.”

At this point in their careers, Garnett and Pierce are merely complimentary pieces to the puzzle on their respective teams. The Clippers, unlike the Timberwolves, will likely be a title contenders once again next season making Pierce’s decision a tough one.

As for Garnett, the prospect of developing young talent and potentially making one more trip to the playoffs may be intriguing, but it has been rumored that the veteran wants to make the jump into the front office or take an ownership role in Minnesota.

Needless to say, both of these future Hall of Famers have something driving them moving forward and reasons why calling it a career could wait another year.