Richard Jefferson may have been 36, but he was arguably the fourth best Cavalier player in the NBA Finals. In a series where LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were looking for help, Jefferson gave them a quality 17 minutes a night off the bench, making plays on both ends (the Cavs were actually +2 per 100 possessions in the Finals when he was on the court).
The question is, does he want to do it again at age 37.
In his own podcast (which included LeBron James talking about Draymond Green), Jefferson said he is considering retiring. Again. Remember he was going to do that last yer but LeBron talked him into returning.
“I don’t know what I’m about to do next season. The only way I would come back would be if these m----- f----- figure this s--- out. Honestly, at the end of the day, coming back alone was not only worth the experience but also worth ‘Road Trippin’,’ man. This s--- was cool, man, because we gave fans something that they had never f---ing seen.”
No question he can still contribute in a limited role. The real question for Jefferson is: does he want to put in all the off-season hours to get his body in shape for the next season? Listen to Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan talk about retiring, and that was when they knew — they didn’t have the desire to do what it took physically to be ready for the next season. In the next few weeks, when emotions have settled down, Jefferson will know whether he wants it or not.