In a cover piece in DuJour Magazine, Paul Pierce says he and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, agreed even before the big Draft Day trade that Brooklyn was "the best fit" for him if as expected the Celtics sent him elsewhere.
"I knew it was coming. [My agent and I] talked about it, and there were a few options out there, but we just felt Brooklyn was the best fit. So I kind of had the feeling leading up to the trade that something was going to happen with Brooklyn. But it’s not the case in all situations. Sometimes guys find out from Twitter or Sports Center."
The comments confirm what others in the Nets organization have said, that Pierce had told Danny Ainge that he preferred the Nets. That's a far cry from the 2012 draft deadline when Pierce was hesitant about joining the Nets.
Also in the interview, Pierce talks about how much he likes New York, asking, in a bit of tease, "Why would you ever want to leave? It’s amazing." Pierce is a free agent in July.
As for the Knicks, Pierce continues to take the high road, but acknowledged, "I’ve never really liked the Knicks anyway."
He also talks about the theme of sacrifice, that its not something you can turn on and off. It's a career choice.
"I was willing to sacrifice some of the things in life that other guys did when I was 21 or 22. When people were going out and partying all the time, I might have been in the gym, working on my craft, trying to get better," he told interviewer LIndsay Silberman.
- The Truth about Paul Pierce - Lindsay Silberman - DuJour