Pacific Notes: World Peace, Clippers, George

He may be officially enrolled at UCLA, but that doesn’t mean Metta World Peace is ready to retire from the NBA. The Lakers forward recently reassured Serena Winters of Lakers Nation that he remains intent on playing two more seasons.

“I’ve got two more years and I’m going to be 20 years, a professional basketball player,” World Peace said. “This year I was more mentoring [for the Lakers], but obviously, if I would have played I would really have had Staples Center rocking more! I still feel like I can bring something to the table, whether it’s mentoring or whether it’s playing, I’m open to either.”

Just because the veteran hopes to continue playing in the NBA doesn’t mean he’ll be back with the Lakers however. Earlier this month the 37-year-old tweeted goodbye to the franchise after reportedly being told that Magic Johnson said he probably won’t be re-signed.

In 24 games for the young Lakers, World Peace averaged just 2.4 points in 6.4 minutes per game. His last taste of heavy NBA action came in 2012/13.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

• Insiders says that Chris Paul and Blake Griffin love it with the Clippers and want to stay, writes Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register. Both have signed new contracts with the Clippers in the past without entertaining a presentation from another franchise.
• Several factors will influence the Lakers‘ chance of acquiring Paul George, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, including whether or not the forward qualifies for the designated veteran salary boost and where their pick falls after the draft lottery.
• When the Kings hired Scott Perry to be their executive vice president of basketball operations they netted one of the masterminds behind the dominant Pistons teams of the mid-aughts. Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee details Perry in an extensive feature.