Tony Allen Reportedly Finalizing One-Year Deal with New Orleans Pelicans

It looks like the Grindfather isn’t done in the NBA just yet.

Former Oklahoma State great Tony Allen is reportedly finalizing a one-year deal to play with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

While Allen is past his prime, the soon-to-be 36-year-old is still one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Foes shot 0.7% worse than their normal averages when Allen guarded them last season, according to NBA.com, and he’s been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in both 2016 and 2017.

Allen has spent the last seven seasons in Memphis as part of the Grit-n-Grind era of the Grizzlies. However, with Memphis looking to go in another direction, they chose not to renew Allen’s contract. In 71 games for Memphis last season, Allen averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor.

The Pelicans would be Allen’s third team of his career. Before his stint in Memphis, Allen was in Boston from 2004-2010, helping the Celtics win the NBA title in the 2007-08 season.

At Oklahoma State, Allen was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and helped lead the Cowboys to the Final Four in 2004.