Breaking: We know what Ray Allen isn’t going to do.
As for what he’s actually going to do, well, shut up. Focus on the small victories, however insignificant they seem. And this is a small victory.
Per ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst, the 39-year-old Allen won’t be finishing the NBA’s regular season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, if he finishes it at all:
Windhorst: "Ray Allen is not gonna sign with the Cavs. I don't think he's gonna play. If he decides he wants to, it won't be with the Cavs."
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 27, 2015
Well, this is totally, completely, wholly…not surprising.
The Cavaliers don’t need Allen, for starters. They have the league’s best offense and record since Jan. 15, per NBA.com, along with a defensive rating identical to that of the Golden State Warriors. They’re also flush with perimeter guys from Iman Shumpert to J.R. Smith to Shawn Marion to Mike Miller. If they’re looking for an emergency spot-up gunner, they have James Johnson. It’s difficult to imagine them adding Allen, who has basically missed 75 percent of this season, to the fold—especially after bringing in Kendrick Perkins.
The other part of this, of course, is Allen’s future in general. The longer he waits, the less likely it seems that he’ll play in his 19th season.
Which is sad.
You hate to see a future Hall of Famer go out like this, in a haze of uncertainty. Allen has every right to retire, and perception of his career shouldn’t change just because he’s spent the last nine months in rumor-bill limbo. But still, it doesn’t feel like a proper sendoff. Many players are lucky enough to know “Okay, this my last season.” It gives themselves and fans a chance to process the end. The league never had that opportunity with Allen, because his permanent leave, if that’s what this is, wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
Not to say there isn’t still time for things to change. One phone call from Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs or Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks could be enough for Allen to come out of retirement in time for the playoffs. That said, you have to wonder how much of an impact he can have after basically missing three-quarters of the season.
Then again, just seeing him play—even if minutes are scant, even if he’s reduced to an orbiting spot-up shooter with absolutely no freedom to dribble or move with the ball in any way—could provide some closure.
That closure just won’t be coming in Cleveland—or, as of now, at all.
