Ray Allen announces he will not play in the NBA this season

Well, that sure turned out to be much ado about nothing. 

After months of speculation about when and where he would choose to sign, 39-year-old shooting guard Ray Allen announced that he will not, after all, be suiting up for any team this season. 

At this stage, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given that just upwards of 20 games remain in the regular season and Allen hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court since his Miami Heat were blown off the floor in Game 5 of the NBA Finals more than nine months ago. 

Allen would not, however, shut the door on a potential return for what would be his age-40 season in 2015-16. 

"Over the past several months, I have taken a lot of time to deliberate what is best for me," Allen said in a statement Wednesday. "I’ve ultimately decided that I will not play this NBA season. I’m going to take the remainder of this season, as well as the upcoming off-season, to reassess my situation, spend time with my family and determine if I will play in the 2015-16 season."

A number of playoff contenders had shown interest in Allen over the course of the season, and at one point he was rumored to be deciding between six teams. 

The NBA's all-time leader in both 3-point attempts and makes, Allen appeared in 73 games for the Heat last season, averaging 9.6 points and shooting 37.5 percent from deep.