Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors: LeBron James Making Hard Pitch For Ray Allen To Join Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rumored to be interested in bringing in sharp-shooting Ray Allen for the stretch run, and it’s his friend and former teammate LeBron James leading the recruitment efforts.

James took a trip to Miami while rehabbing his injured knee and back, and while there, paid a visit to Allen, the free agent guard. Allen has been out of basketball since the Miami Heat lost to the San Antonio Spurs in last year’s NBA Finals, but he has shied away from officially announcing his retirement, as sources indicate he may want to return this year.

ESPN Radio reported last month that Ray Allen was telling teams interested in signing him to check back in January, and that he would weigh his options and make a decision on whether or not to come back by February.

Though many teams were interested in his services, Allen chose to remain a free agent as this season started. He even hinted that he could be retiring.

“To continue playing, really, the only argument is I can because I’m in great shape,” Allen told the Hartford Courant in an August 2 interview. “But just because you can doesn’t mean you have to. Many people over these last couple of weeks have lobbied for me to continue to play. My argument for not playing is, I have done a significant amount in my career and I appreciate everything that has come my way and as I’ve gotten older, I’m 39, there are so many things in life I want to be able to do to affect change — like being around kids full time, which I enjoy.”

LeBron James is not the only member of the Cleveland Cavaliers rumored to be helping recruit Ray Allen. James Jones and Mike Miller — both former Heat players who also followed James to Cleveland — have reportedly reached out as well. The group remains tight-knit, with James and Jones vacationing in the Bahamas with Allen last summer.

If the rumors are true, the Cleveland Cavaliers could benefit greatly from Ray Allen. The team is tied for 17th in three-point field goal percentage (.347) and 11th in three-pointers made per game (8.3). Allen was also a favorite weapon of LeBron James during his time in Miami, and was known for his clutch play in the playoffs.