Ray Allen was expected to have made a decision by now regarding his future in the NBA. The veteran is a free agent after two seasons with the Miami Heat and is toying with the idea of whether or not to return for his 19th season. Several other veterans like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan have opted to come back for at least one more year and Allen is certainly facing the pressure to do the same.
According to the Boston Globe, Allen is leaning towards joining the Cleveland Cavaliers to reunite with LeBron James for possibly two more seasons. James has been recruiting the guard to join him in Cleveland in order to give the young roster as must veteran and playoff experience as possible, but Allen likes the idea of spending more time with his family rather than committing to another team again. If he is to return, the Globe reports it will be to the Cavaliers and no one else.
James' recruiting has worked so far for the Cavaliers. The forward successfully convinced Mike Miller to turn down other lucrative contracts to take a paycut on a two-year deal with Cleveland. Former Miami Heat player James Jones also did the same. All three players have been pushing for Allen to come and complete the South Beach takeover in Cleveland. The 39-year-old has certainly not shown any signs of slowing down, playing in 73 games with the Heat last season while averaging 9.3 points on 41 percent shooting.
The pursuit of Allen shows the Cavaliers are nowhere near finishing their roster adjustments. The team is still heavily involved in a trade for Kevin Love. ESPN.com reports that Andrew Wiggins is expected to sign with the team by Thursday which would make him unavailable in deals for 30 days. However, the Cavaliers are currently working out a three-team trade involving the Philadelphia 76ers which would send Dion Waiters to Philadelphia, Thaddeus Young to Minnesota and Love to Cleveland.
There is currently no timetable for this all to be completed. The Timberwolves are in no hurry to deal Love, understanding that interest will still be there the closer the season comes. The Cavaliers will first try and get Allen under contract before really pushing the deal for Love.
