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Milwaukee Bucks: Why Not Bring Back Ray Allen?

By Ti Windisch

Apr 13, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bango waves the Bucks flag prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bango waves the Bucks flag prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ray Allen is apparently still plotting a potential NBA comeback, with the Milwaukee Bucks as one of his options. Is there anything to lose by signing the prolific sharpshooter?

It’s been an interesting offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks. Two legendary shooting guards with ties to Milwaukee have both expressed at least some interest in becoming Bucks this summer.

The first was Dwyane Wade, who ultimately went with the Chicago Bulls after the Bucks failed to clear enough cap room to offer him a big enough deal. Now Ray Allen joins the club, as he apparently continues to contemplate his NBA future.

The 41-year-old Allen might want to pick up the pace on making this decision a bit. Allen hasn’t played since the 2013-14 NBA season, when he and Wade fell short against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals.

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Wade’s had a productive two years since his last game with Allen, who hasn’t played a single NBA minute since then. This led many to believe he was essentially retired, because what other options are there for 41-year-olds who have as many NBA minutes played in the last two seasons as I do?

Apparently watching and waiting, according to Allen himself in this Hartford Courant article, which our Adam McGee went into detail analyzing right here. Since Adam already covered it well, we’ll just focus on the important bits: Allen isn’t yet done, and one of the teams he has interest in joining is none other than the Milwaukee Bucks.

It’s cool Allen doesn’t harbor any hard feelings towards Milwaukee after being unceremoniously dumped by George Karl way back when. It probably helps that so much has changed about the Bucks organization since those days, plus former Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl said trading Allen was the most unfortunate moment the team had in his tenure as owner.

Exactly what convinced Allen to consider the Bucks as a landing spot for the 2016-17 NBA season is relatively unimportant, though–it’s the fact that he considers the team at all that matters. The other side of the coin is just as important though. Should the Milwaukee Bucks consider Ray Allen?

Although I was heavily against the potential Dwyane Wade signing, Ray Allen is a different animal entirely. He doesn’t harbor any aspirations of being a starter at this point in his career–he showed that in his time with the Miami Heat well enough.

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The wing is the weakest position on Milwaukee’s depth chart, with nothing besides Rashad Vaughn and Malcolm Brogdon currently backing up Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks could use both more experience and more shooting, both of which are things Ray Allen provides in spades.

He likely won’t command much salary at all, and he’s got ties to Milwaukee as one of the best Bucks to ever grace the NBA. This match works perfectly for both sides–Allen seems to realize as much too, according to this quote in that Hartford Courant article:

"“It doesn’t necessarily have to be championship-or-bust for me to go back to the NBA.”“I want to be in a situation where I thought I could help, play a little bit and help where they have good young talent.”"

Although the chances are always against rumors actually happening, this one seems pretty feasible. Allen’s age is obviously somewhat of a red flag, but he won’t be called on to do much besides shoot and lead the Young Bucks.

Next: Free Agent Options Left For The Milwaukee Bucks

Ray Allen is a good fit for the Milwaukee Bucks to bring in, and a nice consolation prize signing for Milwaukee after they lost out on D-Wade.

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