Two summers ago, the Washington Wizards shocked their fan base by acquiring future Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce following the departure of Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets.
Other wing players, like Thabo Sefolosha and Anthony Morrow, were floated around as potential replacements for Ariza as Otto Porter continued to develop off the second unit. Piece’s name was never mentioned nor would it have been seriously considered among pundits.
At that point in his career, Pierce was no longer an All-Star. But, he was still The Truth – one of the most successful and recognizable figures in all of basketball.