BOSTON (CBS) – Paul Pierce was still a member of the Boston Celtics when Thursday’s NBA trade deadline hit, something the C’s captain was very pleased with.

But even if he was traded by Danny Ainge, Pierce said there would have been no hard feelings towards the only franchise he’s played for.

“I always understand the business of basketball. I’ve got thick skin in this business, being a veteran,” Pierce, who was drafted 10th overall by the Celtics in 1998, told reporters at the team’s morning shoot around in Sacramento. “If there was something that was going to benefit the franchise, then so be it. I’ll be happy for the franchise, especially after all the things they’ve been able to do for me. If there was something that was going to better the Boston Celtics for the long run, I’d have been happy for them. They’ve done a lot for me in my career, so it would have never been that hard for me.”

Toucher & Rich:  Gary Tanguay On Trade Deadline

Rumors were swirling with just about every member of the team being mentioned in a potential move. So now that the deadline has passed, the Celtics can breathe easy, right?

Wrong. With the playoffs six weeks away and only 24 games left on the schedule, the Celtics want to move up from the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference and make one more push as a group.

Read: Celtics-Kings Preview

“The closer we get to the playoffs, the more sense of urgency we have. The more you start to feel the energy knowing that, when the big moments come, we’ll know what it takes,”said Pierce. “We understand the sacrifice and, with this ball club, we’re very confident. We feel like, basically you never know, this might be the last year we all play together, so you feel it even more than ever.”