At 41 years old, Ray Allen is probably too old for the Miami Heat, and the Heat too young for him.
Arguably the greatest shooter of all time, Ray Allen, might be looking to make an NBA comeback after a two-year hiatus. The legendary sharpshooter helped the Miami Heat win a championship but it might not be in Pat Riley’s best interest to bring Allen’s talents back to South Beach.
Does it make sense?
Quite frankly, a reuniting of Ray Allen and the Heat doesn’t make much sense.
After letting Dwyane Wade leave in order to get younger and build around their younger core, why would Riley then sign a 41-year-old wing?
It’s also hard to imagine where and when Allen would see the floor. With Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, Goran Dragic, Dion Waitors and Tyler Johnson, the Heat are not really in the market for another guard. Either Allen would ride the bench, making the signing insignificant, or he would take away valuable court time from the young guys and hinder their development.
After the Heat essentially chose re-signing Hassan Whiteside over Wade, it’s fair to assume this team is more interested in developing its young in-house talent. Bringing in Allen would contradict this direction.
Why would Ray Allen even want to come to Miami?
If he is looking to play a role on a championship contender, the Heat do not fit the bill. Not only do the Heat not have room for Allen to receive valuable playing time, but this team is far from contending.
If Allen is seriously considering coming out of retirement, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers or the San Antonio Spurs; two teams with much higher chances of legitimately competing for a title?
Are we even certain Allen can still contribute at 41 years old? In his last season with the Heat, at 38 years old, Allen attempted 309 three pointers and connected at a 37.5 percent clip, which is impressive but significantly lower than his career average of 40 percent. According to 82games.com, the Heat recorded a -2.2 net rating per 100 possessions and shot 2.6 percent (effective field goal percentage) with Allen on the floor.
More: 5 things the Heat need from Hassan Whiteside
At 41 years old, Allen’s only contribution would be his ability to spread the floor, but it’s hard to predict just how valuable he can be. Plus, with an abundance of wings, and no real chance to compete for a title, it doesn’t make much sense for either party. Unless Allen just really loves living in South Beach, which I can’t blame him for.