After losing Trevor Ariza to free agency this summer, the Washington Wizards didn’t waste time in finding a replacement. Merely hours after Ariza agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets, the Wizards managed to snag future Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce off the market.

Washington was reportedly interested in Luol Deng–who was ultimately out of their price range–,Thabo Sefolosha, Danny Granger, any plenty of other cheap replacements for Ariza. Paul Pierce didn’t seem to be on their radar.

Well, the Wizards weren’t on Paul Pierce’s radar neither, especially since he thought he’d end up re-signing with the Brooklyn Nets or reunited with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles:

I thought I probably would end up with the Clippers with Doc [Rivers], but they wound up signing Spencer Hawes [and using the full mid-level exception] at the time. That’s when Sam Cassell gave me a call, shortly after Trevor Ariza signed with Houston. That kind of happened so fast.

-via NBA.COM. Check out David Aldridge’s full Q&A with Paul Pierce here

Paul Pierce will turn 37 years old before the start of the regular season and it seemed like he’d want to chase a ring with the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, he was convinced by Sam Cassell, who’s ironically now with the Clippers, that the Washington Wizards could become a contender in the Eastern Conference.

John Wall and Bradley Beal have arguably become the best backcourt in the league, and after giving it some thought, Paul Pierce decided that the nation’s capital wasn’t a bad destination after all.

I think [about] building confidence in here. When you’re a young player and you’re starting to scratch your potential, you don’t know how good you can be. Hopefully I can help push them, help them believe that they can be the best backcourt, or the best point guard, or the best two guard, in the NBA. Because the potential is there.

Paul Pierce’s presence off the court has already been felt. He’s instilled a sense of confidence and swagger in the Washington Wizards’ locker room that hasn’t been present in years. John Wall and Bradley Beal have emerged as the best young backcourt duo in the league and Paul Pierce’s leadership both on and off the floor should help them become better players and leaders.

Washington probably wasn’t Paul Pierce’s first choice, but doesn’t seem like he’ll regret his decision to join a team that he expects to become a contender.