While the balance of power shifted from the Miami Heat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA's Eastern Conference over the weekend, the up-and-coming Washington Wizards made a move to bolster their postseason experience.
ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted early Sunday morning that the Wizards have signed free agent Paul Pierce from the Brooklyn Nets. Stein reported that the deal will be for two years for $11 million.
ESPN has learned that Pierce will sign a two-year deal with the Wizards at the mid-level exception with a player option entering Year 2
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 13, 2014
The Wizards went 44-38 last season and made a surprise visit to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Washington made its run behind a pair of young guards in John Wall and Bradley Beal.
The Wizards, however, lost forward Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets, who signed the free agent to a four-year deal.
Piece averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds during his one season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14 after spending 15 seasons with the Boston Celtics and leading the team to a championship in 2007-08.
But Pierce's postseason experience will be invaluable to the Wizards, who look to continue to become a force in the East. With the Heat in transition, the Wizards will to accomplish something they haven't done in 35 years next season.
"We're hoping to win the division now," Marcin Gortat said on ESPN 980 Friday afternoon, according to the Washington Post. "Obviously we can't forget about Charlotte, who's a really good team too, [or] Atlanta, who's a really good team. We've got to continue to just get better. The biggest goal for us is to get all the way to conference finals and hopefully NBA finals. We're just trying to do better than we did last year, pretty much."
Gortat was one of the surprise performers for the Wizards last season, averaging 13.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Do you think the addition of Paul Pierce will help the Washington Wizards continue to move up the NBA Eastern Conference echelon? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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