Remember Ray Allen? Plenty of NBA teams do as they continue to hope the veteran will make a comeback into the league before the deadline. The 39-year-old has been sitting back resting his legs as a number of teams continue to try and push for the guard to return to the league following his stint with the Miami Heat. With the second half of the season approaching, is Allen preparing to make his decision?
According to ESPN Radio's Ryen Russillo, Allen is looking to make a decision about his future and playing this season after the All-Star break. It had been assumed when Allen opted not to sign with anyone in free agency that a return to the NBA was still a real possibility, but the guard would likely only accept a contract from a team poised to make the playoffs. Russillo reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers are putting on the hard sell to the veteran while the Atlanta Hawks are also in the mix for the sharp shooter.
The Atlanta Hawks are certainly the surprise of the NBA this season as they currently lead the Eastern Conference with a lethal offense and stingy defense. Getting Allen on the roster to run tandem with Kyle Korver would only make the team that much better as some believe the Hawks are a team to watch during the second-half of the year. In his final season with the Miami Heat, Allen shot 37.5 percent from the 3-point line. The Hawks are already one of the best long-range teams in the league and Allen could be the push they need to truly be threats come playoff time.
A contract with the Cavaliers seems like the most logical move. Cleveland has a 12-game win streak taking place at the moment as the team appears to finally be building chemistry to be the threat everyone predicted they would be. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are starting to mix well and Allen would be the final piece to the puzzle. The Cavaliers have been recruiting Allen ever since James signed with the team. The forward along with Mike Miller and James Jones continue to call the veteran in hopes of bringing him in.
According to ProBasketballTalk.com, the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards are all expected to be in play should Allen become available. The guard will only sign with a team ready for the postseason as he could absolutely still be a dangerous asset to acquire.
