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Free-agent shooting guard Ray Allen has plenty of suitors this offseason, but his best option is to return to Boston.
Danny Ainge has made it clear that the Boston Celtics want Allen back, and frankly, I can't think of any reason for him to leave.
If Allen is looking for loyalty and security, he'll find no better place than Boston. Sure, Ainge has crapped all over the concept of Ubuntu once before, but with Kevin Garnett returning for three years, he appears determined to keep the "Big Four" intact.
If Allen is looking for money, he'll get more of it in Boston than anywhere else.
ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that the Miami Heat plan to offer Allen their $3 million mini-mid-level exception, while the Memphis Grizzlies will try to persuade him with their full $5 million mid-level exception. The Celtics can trump both those offers and, according to Broussard, they'll look to entice Allen with a two-year, $12 million contract.
If Allen is looking to win another championship, the Celtics can offer that, as well. In the five years Allen has been with Boston, the Celtics have won one title, made the NBA Finals another year and came just one game away from returning this season.
Although the Heat look like a juggernaut in the making, one unexpected injury can completely alter the playoff picture. Look no further than this year (Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Iman Shumpert) for evidence of that.
The Celtics also proved this season that they can still contend with Miami. LeBron James steamrolled them in this year's Eastern Conference finals, but if Allen was at 100 percent and Avery Bradley and Jeff Green were around for the series, the results could have been much different.
In the end, the soon-to-be 37-year-old Allen should do whatever is best for him and his family. If he's looking for the perfect mix of loyalty, money and the opportunity to win, though, he will wear the green and white next season.
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