Report: Allen set for surgery

June, 12, 2012
6/12/12
2:30
AM ET

Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen will undergo surgery Wednesday morning to remove bone spurs from his right ankle, according to a report by the Boston Herald.

Allen, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, said after Saturday's loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals that surgery was his top offseason priority.

"That's my first priority, just going into surgery sometime," said Allen. "If I can do it tomorrow, I would do it tomorrow. That's probably my main concern right now, is taking care of that. My body feels good. That's been my only issue. After that, it's hard to say."

The bone spurs flared after Allen tweaked the ankle during Boston's west coast trip in March. Later in the month, Allen missed six games and returned only to relinquish his starting job to second-year guard Avery Bradley. Allen then sat out the final nine games of the regular season and the first two games of the postseason before grinding through Boston's final 18 playoff games.

Allen's injury left his performance inconsistent in the postseason and his scoring average dipped even as he returned to the starting lineup after Bradley underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in the conference semifinals.

Allen earned $10 million this season in the final year of a two-year, $20 million pact signed after Boston's loss in the 2010 NBA Finals. Asked about potentially keeping the core together again next season and making yet another run, Allen didn't address his future except to acknowledge that -- even with his 37th birthday looming next month -- he still plans to play next year.

"There's still a lot of basketball left in my legs. I know that for sure," said Allen.

Chris Forsberg

Celtics reporter, ESPNBoston.com

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