Ray Allen on deciding about next season: 'I'm not in any rush'
Ray Allen still hasn't decided what he wants to do next season, and he seems perfectly fine with that. Speaking from his camp on Saturday morning, Allen said that he's not exactly desperate to sign a contract, via the Hartford Courant:
"I'm not in any rush [to make a decision]," Allen said during a break in the Citi Ray Allen Basketball ProCamp at East Granby High on Saturday morning. "I've played 18 years, and the way I look at my career, I'm content with everything that I've done. I just want to take this summer and see how it goes."
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"To continue playing, really, the only argument is I can because I'm in great shape," Allen said. "But just because you can doesn't mean you have to. Many people over these last couple of weeks have lobbied for me to continue to play. … My argument for not playing is, I have done a significant amount in my career and I appreciate everything that has come my way and as I've gotten older, I'm 39, there are so many things in life I want to be able to do to affect change — like being around kids full time, which I enjoy.
"So at this point I just feel so good about where I am."
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"I don't want to go into a situation where I don't understand the coaching, don't understand the direction of the team," Allen said. "My family is very important in making the decision. Right now, there is nothing that I need to do. If I ultimately decide this will be it for me, I'm content with that."
Allen's a future Hall of Famer, and he's won two championships. He has nothing to prove, but there are several contending teams that would love to have him. If he'd rather hang out with his family for now and see how retirement suits him, those teams would probably still want him in February or March. The 39-year-old keeps himself in excellent condition, and he's not going to forget how to knock down 3-pointers.
The Miami Heat are resigned to a return being "unlikely," according to the Miami Herald. The Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers have all been linked to Allen in free agency, and all three would give Allen a shot at another title. It's unclear if the Clippers adding Chris Douglas-Roberts changes anything, but president and head coach Doc Rivers reportedly wanted to work with Allen again.
At this stage of free agency, most players are just hoping they can latch on somewhere. Allen's in a vastly different position, and he has the luxury of taking his time. He has earned that.
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