Is Metta World Peace Considering Retirement?

With the NBA trade deadline less than 24 hours away, the league has been buzzing about potential blockbuster deals that could go down before the buzzer goes off at 12 p.m. PST on Thurs. March 15. The Los Angeles Lakers will almost certainly pull the trigger on minor deal today or tomorrow or go for the big fish and make a blockbuster trade, but things will definitely get interesting in the hours leading up to the deadline.

In the meantime, there is one storyline that not many are talking about in Los Angeles that involves forward Metta World Peace. It is no secret that World Peace is on the decline in terms of production on the floor and may very well be amnestied in the off-season by the Lakers. Not only could World Peace be amnestied, but he might even get traded before the deadline with some rumors claiming he might be involved in a deal for Dwight Howard along with Derek Fisher and Andrew Bynum.

Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld.com reports that Metta World Peace might even be considering retirement:

The answer has yet to be decided but in the meantime, Lakers forward Metta World Peace has asked the NBA Player Association for instructions on how to file retirement papers.

According to his agent David Bauman, Metta intends to finish out his contract (two remaining years at $7.3 million and $7.7 million, the latter an early-termination option for Peace) but is preparing for the possibility that the Lakers amnesty him this coming summer.

Retirement would essentially be a threat to dissuade a team with cap room that might have designs on putting an amnesty claim in for Peace.

With the writing on the wall in Los Angeles for World Peace, retirement actually seems to make some sense here. There is no question that World Peace is on the downside of his career, and struggling to play at a high level these days. The controversial small forward still has value as a defensive force, but he is a liability on offense with most Lakers fans cringing every time he touches or shoots the basketball.

So, as of right now, Metta World Peace’s future in the NBA and with the Los Angeles Lakers is uncertain. World Peace could get dealt before the deadline by the Lakers, which would most likely change everything moving forward, but if he remains in Los Angeles there is a chance that he might call it quits.