Free agent Ray Allen is still undecided, but there's reportedly a new contender for him: the Atlanta Hawks. ESPN's Ryen Russillo reported Allen, whom the Cleveland Cavaliers are still the favorite to sign, will make his decision after the NBA All-Star break.
Cleveland's need for Allen lessened after the acquisitions of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, making a serviceable backup point guard the team's new No. 1 priority. Cleveland hasn't ruled out signing Allen, as LeBron James's reported pitch meeting in January suggested, but they now have even more competition.
"Hearing Atlanta trying to get in the Ray Allen mix," Russillo tweeted Thursday. "Cleveland still the favorite. Look for decision after All-Star break."
That now makes Allen's reported list of suitors the Cavaliers, the Hawks, the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards. Russillo had reported in December that Allen would begin fielding calls from teams in January, but Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy claims the 39-year-old doesn't even know yet if he wants to return for a 19th season.
"I've been told that Ray Allen hasn't even thought about what team he'd considered joining yet. He isn't even to that point," Kennedy wrote on Jan. 28. "Right now, he's enjoying his time with family in Miami and golfing a lot. He's still working out every day (because he's a fitness freak), but he still isn't sure if he'll play this season. Once he makes that decision about playing, then he'll start to consider teams and specific situations."
Kennedy also suggested then that Atlanta could be an ideal landing spot for Allen, who would join fellow 3-point specialist Kyle Korver. Allen would also play more minutes with Atlanta - or just about any other team - than he would with the Cavaliers, who have a crowded backcourt.
