Point guard Darren Collsion shocked NBA followers with his sudden retirement last summer. Now it seems, he’s thinking of a return and has Los Angeles in mind.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Collison is eyeing a potential NBA return next month. Additionally, the Clippers and Lakers are atop his wish list of teams he wants to play for. Several contenders have monitored Collison’s interest in an NBA return and have stayed in touch with his agent, Wojnarowski reports.
Collison is unlikely to return to the NBA before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Wojnarowski reports. Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, whom Memphis acquired from Golden State last summer, is also a player the Lakers and Clippers are competing to acquire via trade, Wojnarowski reports.
Last summer, Collison stunned the NBA by announcing via letter on ESPN’s The Undefeated that he was retiring after a 10-year career. He cited religious reasons for his sudden NBA departure.
“While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and my faith means everything to me.”
Drafted out of UCLA in 2009, Collison played for the New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers and Sacramento Kings.
Collison, 31, averaged 11.2 points, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season, his second with the Pacers. He is a career 39.4 percent 3-point shooter and led the league with a 46.8 3-point percentage two seasons ago.
Collison was an unrestricted free agent last summer and was expected to draw interest from several teams.
“To all of you, I would like to say thank you for the countless years of support. Thank you for respecting my decision,” Collison said last June.
