Vince to Nets?
Jersey-bound?Marty Burns,
SI.com
Could
Vince Carter soon be joining
Jason Kidd and
Richard Jefferson in a new-look Nets attack? The Raptors and Nets are discussing a deal that would send Carter to New Jersey, for
Alonzo Mourning,
Eric Williams,
Aaron Williams and two first-round draft picks, according to two league sources. One source called the deal "imminent", but the other said it was possible the Raptors were waiting to see if better offers come in.
Neither Raptors nor Nets officials would comment Friday.
Carter, a five-time All-Star, has been on the trade market since the season began. A few weeks ago he appeared headed to the Blazers in a deal involving
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, but those talks broke down at the last minute. Lately the Knicks were said to be a hot pursuer but apparently didn't have the assets Toronto needed to make a deal.
Putting the high-flying Carter with Kidd and Jefferson would be a boon to the struggling Nets, who lost
Kenyon Martin to free agency last summer. Toronto, meanwhile, would rid itself of the disgruntled Carter, as well as the remaining four years and $57.9 million due on his contract. The Raptors also would get a true center in Mourning to go with two other hard-working veteran defenders who fit the mold of coach Sam Mitchell.
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document.onLoad=write_script(DL_randnum)Mourning, who has made a surprising comeback this season from the kidney ailment that has sidelined him for most of three of the past four seasons, is scoring almost 11 points a night while grabbing more than seven rebounds and blocking more than two shots a contest. However, Mourning had requested a trade to a contender and it remains to be seen how he would respond to being dealt to Toronto. In addition, he recently said that his body was breaking down and that he might need time off.
For first-year Raptors GM Rob Babcock, the trade is something of a risk. Carter has been the face of the Raptors for seven seasons. Though often criticized for being sullen and injury-prone, he remains one of the game's marquee stars. His acrobatic style of play and high-flying slam dunks have made the 27-year-old a top gate attraction and a top vote-getter in All-Star balloting. But Carter had become increasingly frustrated in recent years by the Raptors' losing, and before the season he publicly requested a trade. Once on the court, he never seemed to shake his doldrums.
He struggled to adjust to a lesser role under Mitchell, even finding himself on the bench in the fourth quarter for the first time in his career. Through Thursday he was averaging career lows in scoring (15.9), rebounds (3.3), field goal percentage (41.1), free throw percentage (69.4) and minutes played (30.4).
The Nets would be hoping a change of scenery can help Carter. If so, New Jersey could find itself quickly back in contention in the East. The Nets have looked better since Kidd returned to action last week, and the presence of another high-volume scorer like Carter should help an offense that ranked last in the league in scoring (85.1 points a game) and 28th in field-goal percentage (41.7).
Updated on Friday, Dec 17, 2004 3:12 pm EST
