After leaving the Boston Celtics in favor of the Miami Heat last off-season, many people thought that Ray Allen burned his bridges back to Boston. This may not be true, as NBC Boston is reporting that Allen wants to opt out of his deal with Miami in order to make a return to the Celtics.
The report was via Twitter and cites “people close to” Allen. It is hard to say what Allen does this off-season, mostly because his current season is not over.
The Heat will begin their NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. I highly doubt that this offseason decision is worrying Allen that much at the moment. Obviously, it remains to be seen whether the Heat will win a title this season or not, but they are probably the most talented team in the league and Allen being such a great shooter adds another dimension to their game.
Basically, I see three options for the 37-year-old sharpshooter. First, he can simply return to Miami. He signed a three-year contract with the Heat during the offseason and with the success that the Heat have had so far this season, this will probably be his best option in trying acquiring another ring.
Not to mention, with the supreme playmaking and passing ability of LeBron James setting up open shots for Allen, it is probably the best place for his talents as a player.
Next, he could opt out of his deal and return to the Celtics like NBC Boston reported. Boston struggled to replace Allen this season, going 41-40 and losing in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks. With the emergence of Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo coming back from injury, I do not think that Allen would be a starter for Boston.
That being said, I am sure that the Celtics would welcome him back with open arms if he were to accept a bench role with the team.
Lastly, Allen could simply retire. He has had a long and successful career. He has one NBA Championship, and has a good chance for another before this season is over. Allen has had an incredible 18-year career and will no doubt be elected in to the Hall of Fame. If he were to retire after this season, nobody would blame him.
Personally, as long as he is willing to make another go at it, I think Allen should stay in Miami. Let’s be honest, while the Celtics are a solid team, they are not going to be competitive with Miami in the Eastern Conference. If Allen wants to come back to win another ring, he should stay in South Beach, where the greatest player in the world can help set him up with open spots.
Daniel is a writer for www.RantSports.com. He also contributes to TotalSportsBlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @D_Schmelzer and add him to your network on Google.