On the morning after Independence Day, Ray Allen exercised his personal freedom by making a trip to visit with the Heat.
He also was scheduled to meet with the Clippers, but that opportunity was lost when 32-year-old Jamal Crawford agreed to a four-year deal with Los Angeles yesterday (contracts cannot be officially signed until July 11). Allen, who turns 37 on July 20, might have had a chance to be a starter with the Clippers, but the team opted for Crawford and also got a commitment to a one-year deal from Chauncey Billups.
There was talk the Clippers might still have been interested in getting Allen through a sign-and-trade deal involving Nick Young, but the Celtics [team stats] weren’t considering that move.
The Celtics are trying to keep Allen in the fold, hoping he resists Pat Riley’s sales pitch.
Though many see the agreement to sign free agent Jason Terry as edging Allen toward the door, the Celts believe the two will be highly complementary and that their ability to space the floor will result in more good looks for both. And with Terry being more of a ballhandler, the C’s conceivably would have some serious firepower off the bench. Add in Jeff Green and there would be some major scoring ability on a team that has struggled to put up enough points.
There also would be the sense that Allen, Paul Pierce [stats] and Kevin Garnett will stay around to finish the run they began in the summer of 2007.
A source close to Allen indicated the Celtics are making a heavy push to get this done, attempting to answer his issues along the way.
Allen told the Herald months ago that he didn’t want to have to sweat out another trade deadline after nearly being moved in the past, and word is the Celts are ready to comply with either a no-trade clause or a trade kicker (most likely the latter) that would get him a good-sized raise if he does get moved.
There also has been of Allen’s fractured relationship with point guard Rajon Rondo [stats], and frankly, we don’t know how much to read into this. There have been countless successful situations in which stars have regularly bickered to no ultimate detriment.
It’s interesting to note that, according to the source, Allen would already have a deal with the Celtics if they’d met his asking price, leading one to wonder whether there’s really anything to the Rondo rhetoric.
Miami won’t be able to come near Allen’s number. With just the $3 million so-called mini-mid-level exception to offer, the best the Heat could do is toss him a third year, which would make the overall package three years at $9 million, leaving them still $3 million shy of the C’s.
But Miami is trying to augment the money with a large show of affection. LeBron James and his friends have said Allen is their No. 1 target this summer, and they are offering the chance — perhaps a better chance than the Celtics can offer right now — to win another championship.
The Heat would have to do some serious reconfiguring to get Allen in as a starter, either moving Dwyane Wade to the point or Allen to small forward. Either that or Allen would have to come off the bench, a role that at times seemed to be better for him with the Celts because he could get more touches and be more a focal part of the offense when he was away from the starters.
There are other benefits to playing in Miami. Allen would be able to indulge his golf passion on winter off days at home, though when you consider he’d be giving up anywhere between $3 million and $6 million, well, that’s a fairly expensive initiation for any country club.
If Allen chooses to leave the Celtics for the Heat, he would, in essence, be paying money — big money —to have a more secure role on a team he believes has a better opportunity to win an NBA title than the one he’s departing.
From this chair, Allen is a guy who gets to choose where he wants to work. He gets to decide what’s important to him and in what measure. He gets to decide what’s in his best interest, and as long as he gave the last team all that he had —and Allen most certainly did — there should be no fractured feelings.
Though Celtics [team stats] management is trying to allay his trade fears, it’s hard for the brass to play the sentiment card when they’ve previously tried to pack his bags.
But what about Pierce and Garnett? And what about you? It would be very interesting to see the reaction there if Allen does take less to move on. Hell, it’s interesting already that he’s even considering it.
He also was scheduled to meet with the Clippers, but that opportunity was lost when 32-year-old Jamal Crawford agreed to a four-year deal with Los Angeles yesterday (contracts cannot be officially signed until July 11). Allen, who turns 37 on July 20, might have had a chance to be a starter with the Clippers, but the team opted for Crawford and also got a commitment to a one-year deal from Chauncey Billups.
There was talk the Clippers might still have been interested in getting Allen through a sign-and-trade deal involving Nick Young, but the Celtics [team stats] weren’t considering that move.
The Celtics are trying to keep Allen in the fold, hoping he resists Pat Riley’s sales pitch.
Though many see the agreement to sign free agent Jason Terry as edging Allen toward the door, the Celts believe the two will be highly complementary and that their ability to space the floor will result in more good looks for both. And with Terry being more of a ballhandler, the C’s conceivably would have some serious firepower off the bench. Add in Jeff Green and there would be some major scoring ability on a team that has struggled to put up enough points.
There also would be the sense that Allen, Paul Pierce [stats] and Kevin Garnett will stay around to finish the run they began in the summer of 2007.
A source close to Allen indicated the Celtics are making a heavy push to get this done, attempting to answer his issues along the way.
Allen told the Herald months ago that he didn’t want to have to sweat out another trade deadline after nearly being moved in the past, and word is the Celts are ready to comply with either a no-trade clause or a trade kicker (most likely the latter) that would get him a good-sized raise if he does get moved.
There also has been of Allen’s fractured relationship with point guard Rajon Rondo [stats], and frankly, we don’t know how much to read into this. There have been countless successful situations in which stars have regularly bickered to no ultimate detriment.
It’s interesting to note that, according to the source, Allen would already have a deal with the Celtics if they’d met his asking price, leading one to wonder whether there’s really anything to the Rondo rhetoric.
Miami won’t be able to come near Allen’s number. With just the $3 million so-called mini-mid-level exception to offer, the best the Heat could do is toss him a third year, which would make the overall package three years at $9 million, leaving them still $3 million shy of the C’s.
But Miami is trying to augment the money with a large show of affection. LeBron James and his friends have said Allen is their No. 1 target this summer, and they are offering the chance — perhaps a better chance than the Celtics can offer right now — to win another championship.
The Heat would have to do some serious reconfiguring to get Allen in as a starter, either moving Dwyane Wade to the point or Allen to small forward. Either that or Allen would have to come off the bench, a role that at times seemed to be better for him with the Celts because he could get more touches and be more a focal part of the offense when he was away from the starters.
There are other benefits to playing in Miami. Allen would be able to indulge his golf passion on winter off days at home, though when you consider he’d be giving up anywhere between $3 million and $6 million, well, that’s a fairly expensive initiation for any country club.
If Allen chooses to leave the Celtics for the Heat, he would, in essence, be paying money — big money —to have a more secure role on a team he believes has a better opportunity to win an NBA title than the one he’s departing.
From this chair, Allen is a guy who gets to choose where he wants to work. He gets to decide what’s important to him and in what measure. He gets to decide what’s in his best interest, and as long as he gave the last team all that he had —and Allen most certainly did — there should be no fractured feelings.
Though Celtics [team stats] management is trying to allay his trade fears, it’s hard for the brass to play the sentiment card when they’ve previously tried to pack his bags.
But what about Pierce and Garnett? And what about you? It would be very interesting to see the reaction there if Allen does take less to move on. Hell, it’s interesting already that he’s even considering it.
No comments:
Post a Comment