The Washington Wizards were confident that future Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce would return to their team, even after he opted out of his player option.

Given the team’s success in the postseason, Ernie Grunfeld and Co. believed they did enough to convince Pierce that the nation’s capital was a place to be.

Obviously, Pierce’s career with the Washington Wizards ended after just one season. Despite his heroics and growth as one of D.C’s most popular athletes, Pierce opted to return home to Los Angeles and reunite with Doc Rivers.

Even though the Wizards’ brass was confident that he would return, I think we all knew deep down that his time in Washington would come to an end.

Still, while the Wizards weren’t Pierce’s first choice, coach Doc Rivers suggests that the 38-year-old was picking between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Boston Celtics: