Whether Allen remains in a Celtics uniform is uncertain. Several teams are reportedly interested in signing the most decorated 3-point shooter in NBA history, even if he will be 37 years old when next season opens.
If Allen desires to continue playing and the Celtics want him back, he will have a number of things to consider before he puts pen to paper. What sort of role he would have after losing his starting job to Avery Bradley, as well as the salary the Celtics would have to offer, would obviously be at the top of Allen's list of concerns.
Then there is the matter of his legacy. Allen is as self-aware as any professional, and he understands what it means to play for and finish his career with the storied Celtics franchise. It probably means a swift induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame and seeing his No. 20 promptly raised to the rafters of the TD Garden. Both of those things are likely to happen anyway, but the cheers he will hear at his ceremony will be greater if the memories are still fresh in his fans' minds.
The Celtics will have a difficult time even opening negotiations with Allen until their offseason plan for free agency is set, however. Kevin Garnett's contract is the first matter to be resolved, and then the team must address Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, who are both more likely to be part of Boston's long-term future than Allen is. Allen probably is looking at a significant pay cut from last year's $10 million salary, but how much the Celtics can offer — or how much he can receive on the open market — is unlikely to be determined right away.
Should the Celtics keep Ray Allen or let him go?
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