Danny Ainge on Re-Signing Ray Allen: ‘It’s Our No. 1 Priority’

When the Boston Celtics walked off the court in Miami a few weeks ago, there were some who believed that we would never see Boston’s Big Three playing on the same team again. Celtics GM Danny Ainge, however, appears to have other plans. The Celtics have already re-signed Kevin Garnett, and now the Boston Herald is reporting that Ainge is currently putting all his efforts into bringing the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter back to Boston: “Danny Ainge says he’s serious about bringing Ray Allen back for a sixth season with the Celtics, and put his cell phone where his heart was at midnight yesterday, at the moment the guard’s contract expired. ‘We want Ray back, and we’re approaching this as the first thing we have to get done,’ Ainge said yesterday morning. ‘It’s our No. 1 priority.’ The Celtics general manager also understood that Allen, who unlike Kevin Garnett is committed to testing the market, was about to be consumed by a rush of calls. The Celtics, though, came in with the confidence they can pay Allen more than any other team — in this case a potential $12 million, two-year deal that would pay Allen $6 million each season.”