Ray Allen is the top name left on the NBA free agent market and teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are potential destinations for the aging veteran, as he is looking to make one more run at a championship and he has been getting recruited by LeBron James with the Cavs, but so far he has not made a decision on his future.
Allen said that he is in no rush to make a decision this year and he has plenty of options, as teams are chasing him to sign. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Cavaliers are the frontrunners, while the Spurs and the Clippers are looking to sign him as well. Allen said he plans on taking his time on this decision and while he has decided that he will play, he has not made it clear which team he is leaning towards.
Allen played with James in Miami and he previously played for Doc Rivers in Boston before he moved out to LA with the Clippers. Pro Basketball Talk writes that the Spurs are very interested and he could be a perfect fit for that team as a savvy veteran that can knock down the long ball. Marc Stein from ESPN writes that the Spurs are also interested in Mexico's Gustavo Ayon and he could be an addition if Allen takes too long or signs elsewhere. Allen is likely a bench player for any of these teams, but he could make a major impact.
The Cavaliers look like a sure bet to make a run this season and they have been the team mentioned the most with Allen. The Cavs just added Kevin Love in a trade for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett and many think that Allen will end up back there with LeBron James. Love had another solid season last year and he ended up finishing 11th in MVP voting after getting some third and fourth place votes and he was fourth in the league in scoring with 26 points.
LeBron James and Kevin Love have played together before with Team USA and now they will get the chance in Cleveland. The trio of James, Kyrie Irving and Love is as good as any in the league and now Cleveland has the chance to do something special this season. The Wolves did the best they could and while they couldn't snag Klay Thompson from the Warriors, the team got the player they wanted in Wiggins and now Allen could join Love and James in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers became the front runners for the Kevin Love deal after they were willing to include Wiggins in the trade. According to ESPN.com, the Cavaliers added Wiggins after previously holding him out of the trade package, first offering Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett along with a first round pick. The Cavs now are the favorites in the east and getting someone like Allen will only help things off the bench and he could be a strong shooter late in games and he has shown how dangerous that can be.
