The NBA Free Agency Thread

[Heru]

NBA Free Agency has been an even in and of itself...

Nash to the Lakers
Joe Johnson to the Nets
Terry to the Celtics
Kidd to the Knicks

This has been an interesting off season...

[Heru]

And it keeps getting interesting... Ray Allen has just accepted the Miami Heat's offer...

[MalikKnucklez]

[Heru]

MIAMI -- Ray Allen will take less money for a chance at another NBA championship.

Allen told the Miami Heat on Friday night that he intends to accept their contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning NBA champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini mid-level, worth about $3 million a year.

Allen
Allen

Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted the news just after 9:30 p.m. -- or about 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Europe, where Arison has been for several days.

"I was just woken up with great news," Arison wrote. "Welcome to the family."

Arison ended the tweet by making mention of Allen's jersey No. 20, and did not mention the NBA's leading 3-point shooter by name.

A person briefed on details of the decision told The Associated Press that Arison got the word from Heat president Pat Riley, who made Allen the team's top free-agent priority -- especially in recent days. Allen, who will be 37 this month, arrived in Miami on Thursday for a visit, went to dinner with Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra, team executive Alonzo Mourning and others Thursday night, then left Friday to presumably decide his future.

Hours later, the choice was made. Allen's agent, James Tanner, confirmed the decision to The Associated Press not long after Arison's tweet.

Allen cannot officially sign until Wednesday because of the league's moratorium.

Allen becomes the latest player to be sold by Riley on the notion of sacrifice since the blockbuster summer of 2010. The Heat convinced LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all to take less money than they could have made elsewhere in that offseason, so there would be enough room left to add players like Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller. Then last summer, Shane Battier accepted a deal that will pay him $3 million annually.

The approach clearly worked. Next fall, the Heat will raise a championship banner, and Allen will be with them for the title defense.

"HeatNation continues to grow," Wade wrote on Twitter late Friday night.

Wade and James both were involved on some level in the recruitment of Allen. James took to Twitter and Facebook in recent days to let his millions of followers know how much he wanted to see Allen in a Heat uniform, and Wade tweeted on Wednesday that the next day -- the one where Allen was visiting -- would be a big one for the franchise.

In the end, it appeared that the biggest push -- again -- came from Riley, who said before free agency started that Miami had identified "five or six" clear targets to add to the roster.

He never specifically said Allen, and given how James was letting the secret out on Twitter anyway, Riley didn't have to say anything else.

ESPN

It would've been nice if he stayed with the C's, but he made his decision. Good luck to him...

Avery Bradley and Jason Terry are going to be more than suitable replacements though.

[-The Glove-]

It would've been nice if he stayed with the C's, but he made his decision. Good luck to him...

Avery Bradley and Jason Terry are going to be more than suitable replacements though.

I'm rooting for these two. Bradley is from Tacoma and Terry is from Seattle. Nice to see them on the same team.

[Carpe Diem]

We got him!

[Carpe Diem]

Teams are going to have to pick their poison. You either will let LeBron to bulldozing his way through the hoop or leave Ray Allen open to knock down 3's.

[MalikKnucklez]

Teams are going to have to pick their poison. You either will let LeBron to bulldozing his way through the hoop or leave Ray Allen open to knock down 3's.

I demand to know who the first chick in ur sig is. And where can I find her. Naked.

[Carpe Diem]

I demand to know who the first chick in ur sig is. And where can I find her. Naked.

****icia Chaves.

[MalikKnucklez]

****icia Chaves.

Ur doing God's work. Good man.