Are we witnessing the last of Ray Allen in Green?

[mr. dee]

This thread is never different from "Trade the Big 3/Rondo" threads. We can still make a run next season if we got the right players. Ray said himself that he won't mind being in the bench just to make the team better.

I don't know if he will take lower offers though. If he decides to leave beantown, best wishes for him.

[aporel#18]

Hopefully not: Ray, KG and the Captain should retire as Celtics when Rondo & the New Power Generation (Bradley, JJJ, Green...) are ready to carry the team themselves.

That's two more years, IMO, of the Big Old Three mentoring the young kids and playing less minutes on lesser roles. That's how Red built the Celtic tradition, and that's how it should be. I know there wasn't the salary cap or free agency, but how many teams have their legends coming to practice or watching from the stands? The Celtics.

7-8 mil/year for KG and 5-6 mil/year for Ray with no-trade clauses and partially guaranteed second year would work for both parts. KG becomes assistant coach in the Clifford Ray mold. Total win.

[Kuberski1]

I think Ray will be back.  While moving to a contender would be tempting, I genuinely think he likes Boston and playing for the Cs a lot....and the feeling is mutual.  Assuming they can agree on terms, which I believe they can, I think Ray will finish his career here.

[mctyson]

Ray will only be back if he takes a significant pay cut.  I believe Danny will splurge on KG for one more year, because KG is really that good still.  I also believe KG will not take a pay cut when another team out there will offer him $15M.

That, or some miracle happens and the Big 3 all decide to take pay cuts / restructure deals so they can stay together for 1-2 more years and Danny can maintain the cap space.  Not gonna happen, but you never know.

Personally I think KG somehow ends his career in his hometown of Chicago.

[birdwatcher]

I'm not sure of the intention by the OP, but I don't think this post is an overreaction, or even a reaction to what happened against the Spurs.

I've felt all season that if he wasn't traded he won't be here next year. He needs to be in that Reggie MIller mode for some contender, where he's gonna play 10-12 minutes a game, hit some clutch shots and cheer from the bench. His shooting% is still amazing, and it will stay that way on limited minutes. he doesn't need to be out there chasing some guys that are almost half his age. And there will be a big market for him, just like KG--veterans who can contribute and fill a need--and they will be willing to pay for it. I wouldn't give Ray 10+ mil next year just because we have it.

[GreenFaith1819]

Hope not.

I know that we've all been raving about AB and his defensive prowess, his timely baskets, and his youth, but he just doesn't have THIS, yet:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x99mER-dzFw

Or THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RciLe9SUqVM

I hope (and expect) Avery Bradley to continue to improve and STAY in Green for the next few years, but let's not chase Ray Walter Allen out of town yet, folks, lol.......

AB just doesn't have DAGGERS, Cold-Bloodedness, in him, yet.

[pearljammer10]

Depends on how much money he is looking for next year. I think he will ask for a bargain contract to come off the bench for us for a couple years. His girls go to school in Wellesly and I dont think he wants to leave the area.

[gar]

Never understood why Ray was seen as expendable. He more than even KG should retire a Celtic. Not because he is a better player; but because of what he has brought to this region and to the Celtics as an organization. His family his here.

[MVP]

I think the Celtics will try to keep him. The MLE is only $3M now I think so he wont cost a lot to keep. I'm thinking $5-6M should be enough to resign him. Plus pretty much every young player the first person they mention as the one who has helped them improve their game out of the players we have is Ray so besides his play he would be good to keep in the mentor role as well.

[Moranis]

I would rather spend 7.5 million on a one year deal for Allen, then give some lesser free agent 4 years, 35 million (or whatever it works out to starting at 7.5 million).  That said, I'd rather not do either and enter into full bore rebuilding if the Celtics can't land some legit talent through trades (I don't think Williams comes here and he is the only free agent that is legit talent).  If the Celtics can get someone like Josh Smith, than I'd be much more willing to want both Allen and KG back.

[Who]

Yes, I think so. The longer this season has gone on ... the more I think that Ray Allen should not be brought be back next season.

Ray Allen is still a very capable player but I think this season has shown just how much the Celtics need to improve their levels of athleticism and quickness alongside Garnett and Pierce. I think we're at stage now where it doesn't make sense to keep Pierce and Ray together on the wing for long minutes anymore.

In order to create those minutes, Ray's playing time is going to have be cut down considerably. Someone will need to start at the two instead of him and there will need be another backup wing alongside him coming off the bench so there will only be 15mpg for Ray.

It's not that he isn't capable of more than that but that it's not in this specific team's interests to give him added playing time due to physical/athletic limitations of others and the need to create better balance/cohesiveness as a team.

We've all seen how much the team has improved with that added athleticism and Ray just doesn't offer that. Clearly, Ray is still a very capable player who can handle 30+ minutes a night. This just isn't the best situation for him anymore.

He'll be better off leaving the Celtics than accepting a minor role here (15mpg) + the team will be better off letting him leave than giving him a major role (30mpg) next season. So, it looks to me, that it will be difficult to make this work and that it's probably for the best if Ray Allen leaves this summer.

Anyway, that's next year, Ray Allen still has a sizable role to play this season. Preferably off the bench.

[Jon]

I think there's a pretty good chance that Ray comes back.  It's really only the contenders who are going to want them, and they're over the cap.  And if that's the case, as other posters have said, we don't have to offer him unworldly numbers for him to stay here on a 1 year deal. 

The only tricky part might come if some team like Miami or Chicago is so convinced that Ray puts them over the top that they offer him a 3-5 year deal at the full MLE. 

However, even then, he's probably better off taking bigger money on a one year deal in Boston, and then signing a similar MLE deal in the summer of 2013 elsewhere than taking a MLE deal like that.   

[cman88]

I think the Celtics will try to keep him. The MLE is only $3M now I think so he wont cost a lot to keep. I'm thinking $5-6M should be enough to resign him. Plus pretty much every young player the first person they mention as the one who has helped them improve their game out of the players we have is Ray so besides his play he would be good to keep in the mentor role as well.

Bingo! Our young wings get to learn from a professional and hof shooting guard. I want a mentoring passing of the torch rather than a blow it up learn to play on the fly. Our youth are getting to learn how to play the right way from hofers

[Weird Facts]

Would you have posted this if Pierce hit the shot at the end of the game?

Or would everyone then be saying, we never would have won if Ray didn't hit that three?

I currently like AVERY BRADLEY better in our system AT THIS TIME.


But Jeremy Lin was also the best player in NYC 2 months ago.
What happened to him?

[manl_lui]

Ray Allen said he would definitely return if he was wanted...And I'm pretty sure Danny wants him back as well

so contracts are going to be negotiable. I just want Bradley to start in his place and Allen coming off the bench. As long as Allen can finish the game cuz as the above people said, Bradley doesn't have that clutch-factor yet.