Ray Allen is in demand and he is not so sure he wants to be. The veteran has been in contact with both the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers while also considering retirement. Allen is getting plenty of pressure from LeBron James who believes Allen is one of the final pieces to getting Cleveland into Eastern Conference contention. Still mulling over his decisions, Allen is expected to make an announcement in the coming days.
According to Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico, Allen is expected to announce in the coming week if he will be returning to the NBA for his 19th season in the league. If Allen opts to return, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the frontrunners to sign him. There is no question that Allen has years of playing left in the tank. Last season he averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. A team like the Cavaliers would enjoy that.
Cleveland has a young roster minus James. Now the team is targeting veterans with playoff experience to help get the team back into contention after four years away from the postseason. James successfully recruited Mike Miller to the team after the shooter had multiple high-paying offers. He took a paycut to reunite with James. Will Allen opt to do the same thing?
It was previously reported that Allen was only interested in returning to the court if it meant teaming back up with James. That was when many assumed James was staying in Miami. Does Allen have interest in heading to Cleveland for another year or two to help rebuild a team? Playing alongside Andrew Wiggins and Kyrie Irving means plenty of looks from the perimeter where Allen is at his best. With James Jones joining Miller, defenses cannot simply target Allen all the time. He would benefit from the roster and truly balance the Cavaliers out.
Allen is reportedly deciding between Cleveland and simply retiring to spend time with his family. One thing is clear, he will not be returning to South Beach. Head coach Erik Spoelstra told the Sun Sentinel that the Heat owe a lot to Allen, but did not expect him to return.
"We knew that he wanted to take some time and be patient to see where he is. We'll see what happens. I don't even know where we'll be with our roster, but we owe a lot to Ray," Spoelstra said.