Report: Grizzlies interested in Ray Allen
By James
Herbert | NBA writer
December 14, 2014 10:15 am ET
Everyone wants to sign Ray Allen. (USATSI)
Free agent guard Ray Allen has received interest from "far beyond just five teams,"
according to RealGM's Sham's Charania, and one of them is the
Memphis Grizzlies.
Allen's agent, Jim Tanner, confirmed the wide range of interest on Saturday and added that the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has no timetable to make a decision on his playing future.
Despite a report on Saturday that he was choosing between the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors, Allen has not yet reached the stage to decide on any team. Memphis has gone 18-4 this season and has an open roster spot that could be used toward securing another shooter to the rotation.
Essentially, almost any team that thinks it can contend would like to add Allen. The future Hall of Famer will have to decide whether or not he wants to play, and which situation fits him best. He still doesn't appear to be in a rush.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers told reporters on Saturday that, "I think in one or two weeks, he'll start thinking about teams,"
via the Orange County Register's Dan Woike.
Memphis is elite on both ends of the floor. There are already capable marksmen on the wing, in
Courtney Lee,
Vince Carter and rookie
Jordan Adams.
Tony Allen is still starting.
Tayshaun Prince is still playing. Why do the Grizzlies need Ray Allen, then?
For starters, only the
Sacramento Kings and
Minnesota Timberwolves attempt 3s at a lesser rate than Memphis. The offense is still awesome, but Allen could provide a boost. Also, Adams doesn't play, Prince is in the last year of his contract and could be moved, and Carter has struggled with his shot. The Grizzlies have long had a shortage of shooters, so it's about time they had the opposite problem.
While it's unlikely Allen's playing time would be anywhere near the 26.5 minutes per game mark it reached last year in Miami, the same would be true on just about any great team. That's the cost of him waiting this long to make a decision.
