You can take Paul Pierce off of the Boston Celtics, but you can't take the Boston Celtics out of the 48-year-old Hall of Famer. On his podcast with fellow former-Celtic Kevin Garnett, Pierce was joined by Tony Allen to discuss everything from the trade rumors surrounding Ja Morant to the current MVP race.
The trio talked about the New York Knicks' recent blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons, with Pierce making sure to stir the pot by declaring that he could see why Karl-Anthony Towns' performance was proof that he wanted to be traded to a new team.
Pierce says KAT wants out after six-point dud vs. Pistons
Towns had six points, one rebound, and one assist in 23 minutes against Detroit. It wasn't close to enough to get the job done, with New York getting crushed by the only team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.
Pierce told Garnett and Allen that Towns' lack of engagement in the game, resulting in just a six-point statline, told him that the talented big man doesn't like New York's offense. He then leapt to the conclusion that this means Towns wants a trade.
"I saw Towns get six, one, and one the other day in 23 minutes. I'm thinking, 'I can do that!'" I'm saying, I don't think he happy there...he too talented, too good, for that type of stuff. So that's telling me, in my mind, he not happy there," Pierce said to his former teammates as they interjected.
"He look like he ain't messing with the offense," the 2008 Finals MVP theorized. "He need fresh air. I can see stuff. You gotta watch the game, I'm seeing it. He looked frustrated out there, dog."
Kevin Garnett pushes back on Pierce's wild theory
Garnett, who mentored Towns for over a season on the Minnesota Timberwolves before retiring, pushed back on Pierce's brash claim.
"You expected more from him, but he wasn't dialed in," Garnett said. He went on to credit the Pistons for circling this game on their calendar after the Knicks ended their season in the first round of last year's playoffs. The 2004 NBA MVP said the Pistons being deserving of credit doesn't justify any assertions that Towns wants to be traded from his hometown Knicks.
Pierce had made up his mind, having already cited himself as a visionary of sorts with regard to levels of player contentment within their offenses. Fair enough, Paul.
"Why not? This is one versus two," Pierce said of the first and second-seeded heavyweights in the Eastern Conference thus far. "This is a big game...I don't think he happy. He don't wanna be there."
No sportsbook would offer a line worth taking that Pierce is right about Towns wanting a trade. Perhaps he's onto something with regard to the 30-year-old All-Star big not being the most comfortable in Mike Brown's offense, with Towns having recently dropped some postgame quotes that support the notion.
A trade request, though, seems way too far-fetched to cause worry.