Ray Allen leaning toward Cleveland

Veteran guard Ray Allen is leaning toward returning for his 19th season and joining his former Miami Heat teammate LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, The Boston Globe has reported, citing an NBA source.

Former Heat forward Mike Miller, who like James joined the Cavs on a two-year deal, said last week he was making a recruiting effort to lure Allen to the Cavaliers, pointing to the veteran as the kind of player that would help Cleveland in key spots in the playoffs.

Allen, who will turn 39 on July 20, played 73 games for the Heat in the regular season and all 20 postseason games last season.

He averaged 9.3 points per game on 41 percent shooting in the playoffs.

Allen has talked with multiple teams to investigate his options, sources have told ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst.