Paul Pierce is back for his 15th season in the NBA — all with the Celtics.

But the way his 14th season ended undoubtedly hurt — an Eastern Conference Finals exit at the hands of the Heat.

But Pierce wouldn’t have left Boston, would he?

“It really did cross my mind because of the way things went with the trade rumors, the possibility of me being traded, possibility of us rebuilding. It’s like, it was hard not to think about that. Sometimes it wears on your mentally. You don’t know what your future is going to be or what’s your next step.”

That’s fair, but come on Paul… you couldn’t reallllly see yourself on another team, right?

“It would be difficult,” he admitted. “I was telling somebody the other day that I was pretty much institutionalized. If I go anywhere else — I couldn’t see it.”

via CSNNE.com