Paul Pierce deciding to join the Washington Wizards this past summer was arguably the most surprising move of the off-season.

After beating the Chicago Bulls in the first round of last year’s NBA Playoffs, Pierce believed that Washington had what it took to become a top team in the Eastern Conference.

We’re just a day removed from the game, but Washington’s season has come to an end at exactly the same date it did last year.

The Wizards failed to beat the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals last year and repeated the defeat last night against the first seed Atlanta Hawks in six games.

While they didn’t make any progress in terms of where they finished the season, the Wizards took tremendous steps forward in developing a number of their key players during the playoffs.

Pierce’s heroics were seen in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, where he single-handedly trolled Drake’s squad to submission in four games, and it was also seen after he knocked down a buzzer beating dagger in Game-3 against the Hawks.

He also hit a ridiculous three point shot during the final moments of Washington’s elimination game, which was later retracted because the time expired before the ball left Pierce’s hands.

With that said, Ernie Grunfeld and Co. will now look towards the off-season, more importantly the NBA Draft and free-agency. Adding players they covet during free agency will be a goal, but retaining their key pieces is also a priority.

Paul Pierce is one of those key players. At 37-years-old, though, Pierce doesn’t know if he wants to continue playing basketball:

“I don’t know if I’m even going to play basketball anymore. These seasons gets harder and harder the older you get,” said Pierce after completing his 17th. “It’s tough rolling out of that bed every year, every day. Summers get even harder when you start getting back in shape. I’m 37 years old. … It’s a lot of things I’ll talk to my family about and just figure out from there. I love my time in Washington. It’s a lot to think about right now.”

It’s not uncommon for an elder statesman like Paul Pierce to question his future, but for someone who’s accomplished so much, does it really make sense to return for another year?

Other veterans around the league play because they’re yearning for a chance at a championship. But, the truth of the matter is (no pun intended), Paul Pierce has done everything one could dream of as a professional basketball player.

He’s won a championship. He’s won a finals MVP. He’s been the franchise player. He’s played with future Hall-of-Famers like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. There’s not much else to accomplish.

Of course, Pierce was just an hour removed from hitting what could’ve been one of the most important shots of his career, only to learn that it didn’t count.

Pierce sounded like a player who wanted to retire after such a disappointing loss, but that could change after he gets the itch to play basketball again.

Paul Pierce has a player-option for next season and could opt-in, choosing to return to the Washington Wizards, or opt-out.

If he opts-out, Pierce could still return to the nation’s capital, but he’ll also have the option to join another team.

He was linked to the Los Angeles Clippers before they signed Spencer Hawes, so perhaps that will become an option again. Or, he could play one more season with the Boston Celtics, who surprised everyone this season by becoming a playoff team.

Another option for Pierce is retiring from playing, but not from the game. Pierce has already thought about joining a coaching staff or becoming a member of a front office: