Paul Pierce staying with Boston Celtics‎

The Boston Herald reports that the Celtics and Paul Pierce have reached an agreement on a four-year deal: “Paul Pierce will remain a Celtic. The club has reached agreement with its captain on a new contract, according to sources. The deal is for four years at $61 million with certain options for both sides after the first three. The papers cannot be signed and the deal cannot be officially announced until next week. Pierce opted out of the final year of his previous contract and became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 Thursday. But he took that route with the intention of re-signing with the Celtics [team stats] in a deal that would help his own future and allow the club better maneuverability. Pierce will in the 2010-11 season make significantly less that the $21,513,521 he was scheduled to receive. That will aid the Celtics’ position versus the luxury tax.”