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The Washington Wizards are still coming to grips with the sudden end of Paul Pierce's brief, glorious tenure in the nation's capital, but with the speed at which NBA free agency has been moving thus far, they don't have much time to mourn.
Sorry, Boromir.
With Pierce reportedly off to reunite with former coach Doc Rivers on the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wizards have a sizable hole to fill on the wing.
One free agent they've expressed interest in is shooting guard Alan Anderson, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
Anderson, a 32-year-old journeyman, is coming off his most productive NBA season as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Though his counting stats were the definition of underwhelming - he averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game - he posted a career-high 56.3 true shooting percentage, and played some of the best perimeter defense of his career. The Nets surrendered 6.7 fewer points per 100 possessions with Anderson on the floor.
He capped things off with a tremendous first-round playoff series against the heavily favored Atlanta Hawks, in which he averaged 11 points and 3.5 rebounds (16.7 and 5.3 per 36 minutes), while shooting 61 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from 3-point range in six games.
Anderson won't replace Pierce's overall production, nor (obviously) his leadership, eminent quotability, charming braggadocio, or singular flare for big moments. The Wizards are unlikely to find anyone anywhere who checks all those boxes.
But Anderson is a steady wing who can shoot and defend, and he'd make for a solid addition if Washington can snag him on the cheap. He was even Pierce's teammate with the Nets for a season, so maybe some of that aura rubbed off.
