By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Ray Allen was wooed by LeBron James, Mike Dunleavy and the Atlanta Hawks for the last five days. In the end, he decided that there was no place like home.
Ray Allen
Shooting Guard
Seattle SuperSonics
Profile
2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
78 23.9 4.4 3.7 .428 .883
Allen's agent, Lon Babby, said Tuesday morning that Allen has agreed to terms with the Sonics on a five-year deal. The contract would be for $80 million over five years with an additional $5 million in performance bonuses.
"We did wander in the desert for a while, before we got to the promise land," Babby said in a conference call with reporters. "When Ray became a free agent and we had a chance to explore opportunities, we were able to report back to the Sonics on what the market was dictating and they essentially responded accordingly."
Allen can't sign a contract until the league lifts its player movement moratorium. That ban is expected to be lifted on July 22, though there's been talk around the league that it could be pushed back as much as week.
The move should have major ramifications for both the Sonics and the rest of the free agent market.
Where will Michael Redd sign?
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Elsewhere
Allen earned about $14 million this season, and the two sides tried to negotiate a new deal during the regular season, but could not agree. Both sides started talks again after the playoffs.
"It took a long, long time, but except for momentary lapses, it was a completely amicable process," Babby said. "I think Ray comes back to Seattle with a peace of mind now that he's seen what is out there and decided the best place for him is in Seattle."
Now that the Sonics have re-signed Allen, look for them to get aggressive in bringing back the rest of the pieces, including head coach Nate McMillan, that helped the Sonics secure a third seed in the West.
ESPN Insider
Ray Allen was wooed by LeBron James, Mike Dunleavy and the Atlanta Hawks for the last five days. In the end, he decided that there was no place like home.
Ray Allen
Shooting Guard
Seattle SuperSonics
Profile
2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
78 23.9 4.4 3.7 .428 .883
Allen's agent, Lon Babby, said Tuesday morning that Allen has agreed to terms with the Sonics on a five-year deal. The contract would be for $80 million over five years with an additional $5 million in performance bonuses.
"We did wander in the desert for a while, before we got to the promise land," Babby said in a conference call with reporters. "When Ray became a free agent and we had a chance to explore opportunities, we were able to report back to the Sonics on what the market was dictating and they essentially responded accordingly."
Allen can't sign a contract until the league lifts its player movement moratorium. That ban is expected to be lifted on July 22, though there's been talk around the league that it could be pushed back as much as week.
The move should have major ramifications for both the Sonics and the rest of the free agent market.
Where will Michael Redd sign?
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Elsewhere
Allen earned about $14 million this season, and the two sides tried to negotiate a new deal during the regular season, but could not agree. Both sides started talks again after the playoffs.
"It took a long, long time, but except for momentary lapses, it was a completely amicable process," Babby said. "I think Ray comes back to Seattle with a peace of mind now that he's seen what is out there and decided the best place for him is in Seattle."
Now that the Sonics have re-signed Allen, look for them to get aggressive in bringing back the rest of the pieces, including head coach Nate McMillan, that helped the Sonics secure a third seed in the West.
