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For now, the story exists only in the Twittersphere without any formal announcement, but it looks like Doc is coming back next season.
Danny Ainge confirms that Doc Rivers is returning next season as #celtics coach. "We've got a coach everybody would love to have."
— gary washburn (@GwashNBAGlobe) May 16, 2013
That's the first domino to fall in the "run it back" plan, but there's still the uncertain futures of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Garnett would have probably retired had Doc left, so there's that. Pierce is still the key piece to the puzzle though.
In other Doc news:
Rivers injured, not at Pre-Draft combine. Suffered bad hamstring pull playing tennis. Ainge: "It's kind of funny, but it's not."
— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) May 16, 2013
Get well, coach. There's a lot of work to be done this summer.
UPDATE: Here's a link to Washburn's fleshed out story with a few more thoughts from Danny. The most curious of the quotes is:
With Rivers back, the Celtics can now begin formulating their roster for next season. Ainge said he has not talked with Kevin Garnett, who will turn 37 on Sunday and is considering retirement.
"I don't think I have the answers that Kevin will want," Ainge said. "So I gotta figure there's a lot to do (before we talk) and I think there's a lot of questions in Kevin's mind as there is every year, to determine whether he's coming back. I'm not ready to answer everything that he will want to know."
What does "I'm not ready to answer everything that he will want to know" mean?!?!? Could it be Pierce? Could it be a big trade with either he and/or Pierce included? The plot thickens.