Report: Darren Collison Considering Ending Retirement; Prefers Lakers, Clippers

Veteran point guard Darren Collison is reportedly considering ending his retirement and returning to the NBA in February.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Collison prefers to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers.

The 32-year-old Collison surprisingly retired in June and revealed to ESPN's The Undefeated that he did so to focus on his faith and his status as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Collison entered the NBA in 2009 as the No. 21 overall pick in the draft by the New Orleans Hornets out of UCLA. He went on to spend 10 years in the league with the Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Clippers and Sacramento Kings.

In 708 career regular-season games, Collison averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.1 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from beyond the arc and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Last season, Collison started 76 games for the Pacers and averaged 11.2 points, a career-high 6.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest.

Collison Forces Ayton onto His Back

Collison's best statistical season came in 2014-15 with the Kings when he averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (3.2) and steals (1.5), and he also had 5.6 assists per game.

The Lakers and Clippers are two of the NBA's best teams, and they would both benefit greatly from signing Collison.

LeBron James is the Lakers' primary ball-handler and leads the NBA with 10.8 assists per game this season, while Rajon Rondo is the team's best pure point guard. Rondo has been limited to 21 games due to injuries, though, and is somewhat limited offensively compared to Collison.

The Clippers would present Collison with a familiar landing spot, as he spent the 2013-14 season with them. The Clips' top point guard, Patrick Beverley, is currently out with a wrist injury, while Landry Shamet and Lou Williams more closely resemble shooting guards than point guards.

Since the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis via trade during the offseason, while the Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and traded for Paul George, their rivalry is arguably more intense than ever.

The Lakers are first in the Western Conference at 26-7 and the Clippers are third at 24-11. Collison would provide a boost to either team, but there is a good chance he would have to play against the team he spurns in the Western Conference Finals.