NBA PM: Will Ray Allen Play This Year?

Will Ray Allen Play This Year?

Last year, when the Miami HEAT were facing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, Ray Allen told me that he wasn’t interested in becoming a coach after his playing career ended because it would keep him away from his family for long periods of time.

“As far as me coaching when I finish, I couldn’t see myself going from this to then being a head coach, no,” Allen told Basketball Insiders last June. “I have four boys at a young age and I would love to have an immediate impact on them where I’m not always gone every day. If I went into coaching then that would really take me away from them and it’d be even worse than what I’m doing now. I would much rather spend my time doing that with them.”

Not wanting to spend significant time apart from his family is also what kept him from playing in the NBA during the 2014-15 season. Despite plenty of rumors that he would join a team (that Allen and his camp shot down again and again), Allen decided to sit out the season and stay with his family in Miami.

However, that doesn’t mean Allen has decided to walk away from basketball for good. While last season gave him a chance to wind down, he’s still open to exploring his NBA options. Don’t be surprised if this season is very similar to last, with Allen weighing his options throughout the campaign and then ultimately making a decision about playing at midseason.

“I haven’t said anything about that and I won’t officially retire,” Allen said, according to Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant. “Because if something came to the table, contractually and situationally, I want to be able to take a strong look at it. I don’t want to be that guy that says he’s retiring and then is coming back.”

With that said, he did say he would feel satisfied with his career if he never played again.

“It would be one thing if I played 10 or 11 years,” Allen said. “But playing 18, I got a lot out of it. I like the feeling of knowing I don’t have to beat myself into the ground.”

Last season, Allen received interest from nearly every contender, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs among others.

He was recruited by former teammates such as LeBron James and Paul Pierce as well as former coaches such as Doc Rivers and Tyronn Lue. This year, the 40-year-old guard will likely receive the same calls.

After all, a team can never have enough outside shooting and Allen is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He ranks first all-time in NBA history in three-pointers made (in the regular season and postseason). Allen is also highly coveted for his leadership, as he’s a strong veteran presence and knows what it takes to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy as a two-time champion.

Despite being away from the game and being recruited by many people around the league, Allen insists that he didn’t miss basketball for much of last season. Some people close to Allen thought he would have trouble adjusting to life without basketball since he’s a creature of habit and an intense competitor, but he actually enjoyed his down time. For the first time in his adult life, he didn’t have to follow a strict schedule and he was able to spend as much time as he wanted playing with his kids or golfing with friends.

“I didn’t miss it,” Allen said. “I realized how much time I missed not being home with my kids.”

However, there was one point in the season when he felt like he should’ve been playing.

“I probably missed it in the Finals,” he admitted. “Watching Cleveland and Golden State play, it just seemed like an epic battle that required a lot of precision on the floor and that’s when I felt, that was probably the only time that I felt like, ‘Man, I should have been out there.'”

Keep in mind, Allen was less than one year from removed from averaging 9.6 points per game for Miami. Not to mention, he hit perhaps the biggest shot of his career the year before, which helped the HEAT go on to win the championship over the Spurs.

Allen may have played his last NBA game. Unlike many athletes, he seems at peace in retirement and doesn’t have a strong itch to return to the game.

It remains to be seen if he’ll suit up during the 2015-16 season. As he said, he’s keeping his options open, but that’s all for now. No decision has been made, and it’s possible that the 2014 NBA Finals with Miami was Allen’s last time in an NBA jersey.

New Episode of the Basketball Insiders Podcast

If you missed it over the weekend, the latest episode of the Basketball Insiders Podcast dropped.

The latest installment features Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler and Fox Sports’ Brett Pollakoff discussing the winners and losers of free agency, the socialization of athletes, what’s next for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors and much more. Listen here:

The next episode of the podcast, featuring Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy and Jesse Blancarte, will drop on Tuesday evening.