Ray Allen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Budinger, Allen, World Peace, O. Johnson

November 2nd, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Nets last month, Chase Budinger has headed to Spain to join Baskonia. As Eurohoops.net details, Budinger says he’s excited to follow in the footsteps of former Baskonia big man Luis Scola, whom Budinger describes as a “mentor.” There will be no shortage of former Nets on the roster this season for Baskonia, as the team also features Andrea Bargnani, Shane Larkin, and Tornike Shengelia.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Now that Ray Allen has formally announced his retirement, what’s next for the future Hall-of-Famer? Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders explores that subject, recalling that when he spoke to Allen back in 2014, the veteran sharpshooter expressed interest in eventually getting into coaching.
The Lakers were in Indiana last night to play the Pacers, and veteran forward Metta World Peace took the opportunity to express some remorse about his time in Indiana earlier in his career, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. According to World Peace, he can “never forgive” himself for letting so many people in the Pacers organization down.
Former second-round pick Orlando Johnson, who appeared in regular-season games with the Suns and Pelicans last season, has signed a three-month deal with Russian team UNICS Kazan, as relayed by Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Johnson was in camp with the Bucks this fall, but didn’t make Milwaukee’s regular season roster.

Ray Allen Formally Announces Retirement

November 1st, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

There were rumblings this offseason that longtime NBA sharpshooter Ray Allen was considering making a comeback, perhaps for a team like the Warriors, Celtics, or Bucks. However, in a piece for The Players’ Tribune today, Allen confirmed that he’ll officially retire rather than attempting to return to the court for an NBA franchise.

“I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game,” Allen wrote in the piece, which was framed as a letter to his 13-year-old self. “I write to you as a man who is completely at peace with himself.”

Allen, who turned 41 in July, last played for the Heat, helping the team win a championship in 2012/13 and get back to the NBA Finals in 2013/14. By the end of his final year in Miami, he was averaging well below his career mark of 18.9 PPG, but he still shot an impressive 39.8% on three-pointers during those two seasons with the Heat.

Over the course of his 18-year NBA career, Allen spent time with the Bucks, SuperSonics, Celtics, and Heat, earning 10 total All-Star nods with three separate clubs. He left the game as a 40.0% career three-point shooter, having set the record for most career threes.

Allen’s 2,973 total three-pointers separated him from second place (Reggie Miller) by more than 400 and from third place (Jason Terry) by more than 800. Still, considering the way the game has evolved in recent years, perhaps the idea of a comeback had some appeal as a way to allow him to stretch that lead, keeping it safe for a little longer. Instead, the former UConn standout will call it career, putting him on track for a Hall of Fame induction sooner rather than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Doc Rivers Talks Pierce, Allen, KG, Griffin

September 7th, 2016 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers made an appearance in Boston at the annual ABCD Hoops Dream fundraiser at TD Garden on Tuesday, and made time for a discussion with reporters. Given the location of the event, it was no surprise that many of the questions focused on the NBA futures – or lack thereof – for the Celtics’ old “big three” of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.

In addition to discussing Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, the Clippers’ coach addressed a few other topics, including the offseason’s Blake Griffin trade rumors. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg has a nice round-up of Rivers’ comments, so let’s check out a few of the highlights….

On whether Pierce will be back for his 19th season, as has been reported:

“Depends on the day I talk to him. Paul has had the summer, he’s gone back and forth. … Paul didn’t have the best year last year. I don’t think he wants to go out that way. So I think that’s why he’s working to try to come back. But he still may change his mind next week. So we just have to wait. I told him if I see him at training camp, I’m assuming he’s playing.”

On Pierce’s eventual retirement:

“The day [Pierce] retires, he’s going to retire a Celtic. He has to. Paul’s a Celtic. So when he retires, he’s got to retire as a Celtic. I don’t think anyone disagrees with me.”

On whether Allen will return to the NBA:

“I don’t know. I won’t talk about what we talked about. I think if Ray was in the right spot, he may play. I think Ray wants to golf a lot too, right now. But Ray is in amazing shape. I don’t know how he does that. I didn’t know how he does that as a player; I don’t know how he does it as a non-player. He’s probably in top-five shape in the NBA. So could Ray play? Absolutely, I believe he could.”

On Garnett’s situation with the Timberwolves:

“I think Kevin – and I know it, because I talk to him – loves the young guys on his team. He loves how they work. He thinks they have an old-school mentality. So I think he’s really gotten into Kevin, the teacher. And I honestly never saw that coming, either. Yet he was a phenomenal teacher with [Boston]; I just didn’t think he would have the patience to do it. And I think Kevin loves teaching these young guys.”

On the Griffin trade rumors:

“We knew none of it was true. We figured that was one of you guys starting these rumors here in Boston. I was trying to find out who it was … No, it happens, unfortunately. Blake and [Chris Paul] are free agents [after this season]. Just like last year Oklahoma [City] had to deal with that, now it’s our turn.”

Be sure to check out the rest of Rivers’ comments right here.

Celtics Notes: Allen, Crowder, Thomas, Young

August 17th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

A 41-year-old Ray Allen wouldn’t be a good fit on a young team like the Celtics, argues Josue Pavon of WEII 93.7 FM. The former Celtic has been considering a return to the NBA and has reportedly had discussions with Boston and Milwaukee. But with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder already established and Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart and R.J. Hunter all needing more playing time to improve their games, Pavon believes Allen would be an unnecessary addition. The writer also suggests that Allen is using this move as a way to get back in the good graces of Celtics officials and fans and increase the chances of having his number retired. Allen has promised to make a decision before training camps open next month.

There’s more tonight out of Boston:

Crowder’s brief absence with a high ankle sprain last season underscored his importance to the Celtics, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Crowder posted career-best totals last season with 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per night, and Blakely contends that Crowder has All-Star potential if he keeps improving. He’s also becoming one of the best bargains in the league after signing a five-year, $35MM deal last summer.
It may have worked out to Thomas’ benefit that the Celtics passed on him in the 2011 draft, Blakely writes in a separate story. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge had his eye on Thomas with the 55th pick, but opted for E’Twaun Moore. Thomas slid to the 60th pick and came into the NBA feeling like he had something to prove. Coming off his first All-Star appearance, Thomas may have to adjust his game with Al Horford in town, giving up a few shots for more assists.
The battle for the last roster spot may come down to Hunter and James Young, according to Brian Robb of CelticsHub. Commenting as part of an ESPN.com panel, Robb says they will both need to perform well in training camp to stand out from the Celtics’ large collection of draftees.

Atlantic Notes: Bogdanovic, Allen, Knicks

August 9th, 2016 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Nets seeking to forge a new identity as the team rebuilds, the 2016/17 campaign will be Bojan Bogdanovic‘s best chance to solidify a place in the NBA for himself, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes. The team has let the 27-year-old know that he is in its plans this season, sending assistant coach Chris Fleming overseas to speak with the forward earlier this summer, Puccio notes.

“It’s important for me that Chris came to Zagreb, that Nets sent him there,” said Bogdanovic. “That’s proof for me that Nets have big plans for me in next season. We talked a lot what I should improve in my game. He said me how to be more consistent in spot up shooting coming from screens. Also, I should post up more, because I did that a lot in Europe, but not in NBA.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks included partial guarantees of $100K in the contracts of Chasson Randle and J.P. Tokoto, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
By virtue of remaining on the Sixers roster, Robert Covington‘s salary for next season worth $1,015,696 is now partially guaranteed for $50K, Pincus notes (via Twitter). The remainder of the forward’s deal won’t be guaranteed until January 10th, 2017.
Ray Allen has reportedly has had discussions with a number of teams regarding a potential NBA comeback. But if the veteran shooting guard is serious about a potential reunion with the Celtics, some fences would need to be mended with team ownership first, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe Opines (Video link).

New York Notes: Allen, Lopez, Foye

August 7th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by ChrisCrouse

Ray Allen is seriously considering a return to the NBA and Longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee has been trying to persuade Allen to sign with New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along. “Spike Lee has been trying to recruit me,” Allen said. “We’ve been texting.” Begley adds that it’s not clear whether the team has interest in bringing the shooting guard aboard. New York has 16 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates, though only 14 of those deals are fully guaranteed.

Here’s more from New York:

Brook Lopez helped recruit free agents to the Nets this offseason and the big man finds himself enjoying his place on the team, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. “It’s abnormal,” Lopez said. “It’s a good feeling. I know they’ve been harping on the culture and all but it’s a completely unique feel this time, like we’re moving in that right direction. It’s something people actually want to be a part of.”
Randy Foye, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Nets, believes he could have signed a better deal elsewhere in free agency, but GM Sean Marks‘ vision for the franchise compelled him to come to Brooklyn, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “There was more talk about building a culture,” Foye said. “A lot of places you go, they search and look for superstars to fill voids every year. But I think this here is more of a culture. And just see how the Spurs and how they build a culture, they have three guys and have other guys come in and are a part of that culture and help build that culture. And that was one of the most important reasons for me signing here.”
Foye added that he is coming to the Nets “with no ego” and he has no expectation of starting, Bondy passes along in the same piece.

Ray Allen Has Spoken To Celtics, Bucks

August 6th, 2016 at 7:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen has had conversations with the Celtics and Bucks as he contemplates an NBA comeback at age 41, writes Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant. Both teams have a special significance for Allen, who won an NBA title with Boston in 2008 and broke into the league with Milwaukee in 1996.

“I would love going back to those places if it worked out,” Allen said, “because both teams are good, too. It doesn’t necessarily have to be championship-or-bust for me to go back to the NBA. I want to be in a situation where I thought I could help, play a little bit and help where they have good young talent.”

Allen hasn’t played in the league since 2013/14, when he appeared in 73 games for Miami, mostly as a reserve. He said he has started going through intense workouts to prepare him for NBA competition and has felt “great” afterward.

After winning titles with the Celtics and Heat, there has been speculation that Allen may want to join the defending champion Cavaliers or the runner-up Warriors to give himself the best shot at another ring. The Spurs and Clippers have also been mentioned as possible destinations, and Allen said Knicks’ super-fan Spike Lee has been texting him about coming to New York.

Allen made it clear that a return to the league is not definite and said he will make a decision by the time training camps open late next month. His choice will be based on finding the right franchise and the right role.

“My decision is predicated on what is available,” he said. “I said that I was interested because I never retired for a reason. I’ve been watching, seeing what teams have been doing and I’ve been waiting to see if the opportunity presented itself where I think I could fit.”

Ray Allen Considering NBA Comeback

July 6th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

As the Warriors consider veteran free agents willing to sign on minimum salaries to help fill out their roster, Ray Allen‘s name has surfaced in recent days as a player Golden State may call. As it turns out, Allen is indeed mulling a comeback and his representatives have reached out to the Warriors, league sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

According to Broussard, Allen isn’t entirely sure that he wants to return to the NBA after not having appeared in a game since 2014, but he’s “intrigued” by the possibility of competing for another championship. Broussard reports that the longtime sharpshooter would also consider the Cavaliers, Spurs, and Clippers, in addition to the Warriors.

Per Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, Allen’s reps have also reached out to the Cavs, and the interest between Cleveland and the 40-year-old is mutual. However, even though Allen and LeBron James are “extremely close,” the Finals MVP hasn’t been recruiting his former teammate so far, tweets Haynes.

As for the Warriors, they remain undecided on whether they want to pursue Allen, says Broussard. Based on what we’ve seen so far this week, with Zaza Pachulia and David West agreeing to join the team on below-market deals, Golden State may have its pick of veteran contributors, so the club figures to do its homework on all potential options.

Allen, who turns 41 later this month, last played for the Heat, helping the team win a championship in 2012/13 and get back to the NBA Finals in 2013/14. By the end of his final year in Miami, he was averaging well below his career mark of 18.9 PPG, but he still shot an impressive 39.8% on three-pointers during those two seasons with the Heat.

Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Rush, Galloway

July 5th, 2016 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After four days of breathless speculation about where Kevin Durant would land, KD is off the market, leaving the title of best available free agent to another superstar: LeBron James. We’ve hardly heard a word since July began about the status of LeBron, who said in June he’d return to the Cavaliers, but he’s technically not under contract. So it comes as no surprise that, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets, teams are calling to inquire about the Finals MVP. However, agent Rich Paul has been “politely” informing those teams that his client isn’t leaving Cleveland, says Stein.

Here’s more on several free agents around the NBA:

The Timberwolves inquired about free agent shooter Brandon Rush on Monday, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Minnesota has reached out to a ton of players over the last several days, but so far Cole Aldrich is the club’s only free agent contract agreement.
Although the Knicks rescinded Langston Galloway‘s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, the team still holds his Early Bird rights and could exceed the cap to re-sign him, notes Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
While a report out of Spain (hat tip to Eurohoops.net) suggests that the Sixers have made a two-year, $20MM contract offer to veteran Real Madrid guard Rudy Fernandez, a league source denies that report to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com.
Former NBA lottery pick Anthony Randolph, who has spent the last couple seasons playing for a Russian team, is receiving interest from NBA clubs, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Warriors have pushed for a Ray Allen comeback since 2014, and will likely give the longtime shooting guard a call asking him about playing for the minimum this year.

Eastern Notes: Thibodeau, Allen, Durant, Sixers

January 25th, 2016 at 9:28am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs would have given strong consideration to hiring Tom Thibodeau if they’d made a coaching change this past summer, a league source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, but now, management has faith in Tyronn Lue, McMenamin writes. They’ve seen him manage to remain loyal to David Blatt while developing relationships of his own with the team’s stars, and they’re confident that Lue will command a level of effort from the team that they believe wasn’t always present under Blatt, McMenamin adds. See more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat have had a standing offer to Ray Allen since the 2014 offseason, but he remains unmoved and that’s no surprise, given his frustration with the team during the 2013/14 season, his last one in Miami and last to date in the NBA, writes Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. All of the former teammates and other acquaintances of Allen’s to whom Skolnick has spoken expect him to remain out of the game, though Allen said this past summer that he had no plans to officially retire.
Agents from around the league insist that the Nets are “in the mix” for soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant, even though they look like long shots, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com. Durant’s free agency, expected to be one of the major storylines of the 2015/16, has largely been a backburner issue in large measure because Durant has spoken little about it and has rarely given any indication that he wants to leave the Thunder.
Meddling from owners who aren’t basketball personnel experts is most damaging when it affects draft decisions, which is why a report that Sixers ownership was worried about how fans would react to Kristaps Porzingis and pushed the team to draft someone else instead is troublesome, contends Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil says the report isn’t true, however (Twitter link).