LeBron James has managed to recruit one of his former teammates to the Cleveland Cavaliers, so can he recruit another one before it is too late? Ray Allen is not rushing his decision regarding his future for next season as he toys with the idea of retirement and James is hoping he can convince the veteran to come back one more shot at a championship before calling it quits. With interest peaking from other teams, what does Allen do in 2014?
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, Allen has been in contact with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but has also talked with the Houston Rockets about the potential of signing with the team in free agency. Right now, Allen is taking his time as he also considers the idea of retiring instead of playing a few more years in the league. The league's all-time 3-point shooter is about to turn 39, but he still averaged 9.6 points last season coming off the bench for the Miami Heat. He can still easily be a productive asset to any team aiming to contend for a championship, but only if he returns.
James is hoping he can bring Allen to Cleveland just like he did with Mike Miller. The veteran shooter signed a two-year contract agreement with the Cavaliers, opting to take pay cut over other offers from teams like the Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. Miller preferred to sign on and reunite with James, convinced he stands a better shot at winning a title that way. Will Allen be convinced of the same thing?
Earlier in the offseason, ESPN.com reported that Allen would return to playing if he could be teamed back up with James. That is no longer an option in Miami, but Cleveland still has the cap space to sign another veteran and Allen could be their main target. The Rockets are hoping they can pull Allen away from James and Cleveland as the team is still in need of production after the loss of Chandler Parsons.
Spears continues his report saying the Rockets are a real longshot to land Allen. If the veteran does not sign on with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he is expected to retire. However, his former teammates like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are all returning for another year along with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs, so there is no doubting Allen still has a few more years left in him.