LeBron James has made his decision and now the rest of the Miami Heat have to decide if they will follow in his footsteps. The forward has announced that he will opt out of the final two years of his contract and become a free agent this summer. Several other marquee players of the Miami Heat also have the option to do so. Without James, do the others re-sign?
One player that has a big decision ahead of him is Ray Allen. The veteran must decide whether or not to return for his 19th season in the league. Currently approaching free agency, rumors have been swirling that the guard will decide to retire instead of seeking a new contract either with the Heat or elsewhere. However, according to ESPN.com, Allen is leaning towards prolonging retirement for a few more seasons and hitting the free agent market.
Allen has certainly found the fountain of youth since signing with the Miami Heat. He will turn 39 in July and played in 73 regular season games while playing in all 20 postseason games, coming off the bench. He averaged 9.3 points on 41 percent shooting in the playoffs. When the Heat lost in the Finals, Allen said that his body still felt healthy and young so a return was certainly possible.
"One thing is for certain, to [make a retirement decision] on my terms is the most important thing," Allen said, via ESPN.com. "Whether that is me retiring, staying here or going somewhere else, it will be on my terms. I've made it to this point, and I felt great that I have the choice to make it for myself."
It was previously reported that Allen would only return if James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were re-signing with the Heat. James could still return to Miami pending some needed roster upgrades while Wade and Bosh are still making their decisions. The Miami Herald is reporting that the Heat are still very much the frontrunners to land James in free agency. Many believe the forward opted out simply to push the Heat to spend more money and make needed upgrades to certain roster positions.
If Allen does not return to Miami, he will have options as a free agent. He likely only plans on signing with a contender. At this point in his career, Allen does not want to join a rebuilding unit like the Boston Celtics. He could easily find a home with the Los Angeles Clippers or the Chicago Bulls if they miss out on Carmelo Anthony.