With the NBA season about a month away, the rosters are starting to take shape. There isn’t much room left for the players who aren’t already on a team. Save for the occasional training camp signing. Among the unsigned was 13-year veteran Tony Allen. Allen, a three-time All-Defensive team member was let go by the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of last season. The Grizzlies have decided to build a younger team around the core of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. This shift in direction left fan and team favorite Zach Randolph on the outs as well.
Randolph has since signed a 2-year deal with the Sacramento Kings. Allen, who is an unrestricted free agent, has yet to find a new NBA team to call home. Until now.
Recent reports from The Vertical’s Shams Charania indicate that the 35-year-old is close coming to an agreement to join the New Orleans Pelicans.
Free agent Tony Allen is finalizing a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2017
It may serve the Pelicans well to take a flier on the defensive stalwart. Allen’s personality and knowledge of the game will translate well in a locker room as young as the Pelicans’. Beyond all of that, this is another solid move for the Pelicans as a basketball team. With the additions of Ian Clark and Rajon Rondo, the team is looking to become more of a cohesive unit around the talents of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. The team also resigned point guard Jrue Holiday.
The loss of Solomon Hill earlier this summer hurt the team on the defensive side of the court. Out of his prime he may be, the first-team all-defender can still defend at a high level. His contributions on that end look to do wonders or a tem that was lacking any real perimeter defenders on its roster.
Allen averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals last year with the Grizzlies.
