Ray Allen Announces He Won't Play in 2014-15 NBA Season

Veteran guard Ray Allen has weighed his options throughout the 2014-15 season, but the two-time NBA champion announced on Wednesday that he will not suit up during the current campaign.

According to a press release on TandemSE.com, the 39-year-old free agent has decided to take the rest of the season off before considering his options for 2015-16:

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Over the past several months, I have taken a lot of time to deliberate what is best for me. I've ultimately decided that I will not play this NBA season. I'm going to take the remainder of this season, as well as the upcoming offseason, to reassess my situation, spend time with my family and determine if I will play in the 2015-16 season.

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On Friday, March 6, after losing Wesley Matthews to a torn Achilles it was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that the Blazers showed interest in Allen:

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Blazers general manager Neil Olshey made a call to agent Jim Tanner on Friday morning on the chance that Allen might reconsider his decision to sit out the 2014-15 season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Nevertheless, Tanner informed the Blazers that Allen, 39, remains intent on sitting out the season and wouldn’t consider the possibility of joining Portland – or any other team, sources told Yahoo Sports.

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Allen spent the past two seasons as a member of the Miami Heat alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He had a great deal of success there, but rather than re-signing or catching on with another team, Allen has remained on the sidelines in 2014-15.

Many assumed that the 10-time NBA All-Star would eventually sign with a contender, but he is staying out of the fray despite the fact that his agent, Jim Tanner, claims there have been plenty of inquiries.

"Ray has received enormous interest from a number of NBA teams throughout this season," Tanner said. "We will communicate with interested teams as Ray makes a decision for the 2015-16 season."

Allen will be 40 next season, and while he may not be the same player he once was, he can still be a contributor to a winning cause.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Allen is far and away the NBA's all-time leader in three-point field goals made:

Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report passed along a cool stat that sums up Allen well: 

That type of shooting ability coupled with his winning pedigree will undoubtedly keep teams interested entering the 2015-16 campaign.

Ultimately, though, it is up to Allen if he wants to extend what has already been a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

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