After being amnestied by the Los Angeles Lakers last year, Metta World Peace signed with the New York Knicks on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, World Peace’s stint with the Knicks didn’t last long with the veteran forward playing in only 29 games before being bought out.
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Currently, World Peace is an assistant coach at Palisades High for the girls’ basketball team. Although World Peace is giving coaching a try on the high school level, the one-time NBA champion maintained he’s not retired in an interview with Larry King via Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports:
“I’m not retired — I’m just coaching,” World Peace told King. “People think because I coach that I’m retired. I’m not retired. I’m just coaching.”
At 34-years-old, World Peace’s best years are behind him. With that being said, the phone isn’t exactly ringing off the hook for the 15-year veteran as a free agent.
Although things ended prematurely in New York, World Peace hasn’t ruled out the possibility to returning to the Knicks with Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher in the fold:
“I don’t know yet. I don’t know,” World Peace said of a second round at Madison Square Garden. “I mean, maybe. You never know.”
The real question is if the Lakers are a still an option for the veteran forward. The roster in Los Angeles is starting to come together with only a few spots left, but the small forward position is a concern. Wesley Johnson is the only player on the roster outside of Nick Young that play the position and the Lakers brass may be looking for some insurance at a discount.
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World Peace would be an intriguing option for the Lakers if the two sides have mutual interest. There’s been no indication that the team is considering World Peace, but the former Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to Los Angeles.
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