Ray Allen says he hasn't officially retired from NBA

Free-agent shooting guard Ray Allen said he hasn't officially retired from the NBA.

Free-agent shooting guard Ray Allen told the Hartford Courant that he hasn't officially retired from the NBA, and would give the right situation a “strong look” if something came up.

After months of weighing his options, Allen announced in March that he would not play during the 2014–15 season. He last played for the Miami Heat in 2013–14, averaging 9.6 points while shooting 44.2% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range in 26.5 minutes per game.

“I haven't said anything about that and I won't officially retire,” Allen said. “Because if something came to the table, contractually and situational-ly, I want to be able to take a strong look at it. I don't want to be that guy that says he's retiring and then is coming back.”

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Allen, who at 40 years old is planning to get the remaining credits he needs to earn his degree from UConn, told the Courant that he did not miss the league during his year off, except during the NBA Finals. He received interest from several teams throughout the season and told the Courant that “a quarter to half” the league's teams contacted him in the spring about coming back for the playoffs.

“I realized how much time I missed not being home with my kids,” he said. “I probably missed it in the Finals. Watching Cleveland and Golden State play, it just seemed like an epic battle that required a lot of precision on the floor and that's when I felt, that was probably the only time that I felt like, ‘Man, I should have been out there.’”

Over 18 seasons in the league, Allen has averaged 18.9 points per game. He is the NBA's all-time leader in three-point field goals made.

- Molly Geary