Teams who are looking to contend for a title this season are interested in signing Ray Allen for their playoff push, but the veteran shooting guard might snob all offers to play again this year.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Allen, who played for the Miami Heat in the past two seasons, is leaning towards retirement despite strong interest from several teams.
"I have now heard that Ray Allen is leaning towards retiring," Windhorst said.
Allen, who averaged 18.9 points to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 18 seasons in the NBA, said earlier in the season that he is not ready to sign with a new team because he is thinking of hanging up his sneakers for good.
The 39-year-old shooting guard is reportedly interested in signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers because of LeBron James, whom he played with in Miami.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Allen was indeed considering joining James in Miami, but he was not ready to decide because he is concerned about moving his family to Cleveland.
The Cavaliers was also an intriguing option for Allen because of the possibility of winning another title, but the team has been struggling this season with most analysts saying that winning a title in Cleveland is a long shot at this point. The Cavaliers are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with their 18-12 record.
"I had heard as far back as last summer that when LeBron left the Heat Allen was hesitant to follow and leave his family and life in Miami to chase a ring in a cold-weather climate," Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk said. "Now Cleveland is far from a sure thing in the East and while there are teams in the West Allen could help that playoff run will be a bloodbath for everyone."
Aside from the Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls also expressed interest in signing the veteran along with the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards.
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, whose team holds the best record in the league, recently confirmed that they have also reached out to Allen about a possible deal, but did not get a direct answer from the former Connecticut standout about his plan.
