Vince Carter has created a legacy for himself throughout his career in the NBA. He is coming to the end of his career, however, and this offseason could be the last year that he heads into free agency to find a new contract with a new team. This could be his opportunity to head back to where it all started.
Bleacher Report thinks that the Toronto Raptors should look into signing Carter this offseason. Not only would seeing Carter back in Toronto be a cool thing for NBA fans, it would also be a nice fit for both parties involved.
Carter has been asked about whether he would like to return to the Raptors or not at some point. He made it clear that he would like to end up back in Toronto.
“It’s just one of those things. It’ll happen for sure. Somehow, whether it’s a one-day or something, it’ll happen. It’s supposed to happen, I think, I can say that now. I’ve had a lot of people say it’s supposed to happen, so now I guess I have to believe.”
Early on in his career, Carter was the face of the Raptors’ franchise. With him in town, it seemed like the Raptors were heading towards a championship. Unfortunately, things ended abruptly and it wasn’t a pretty divorce between the Raptors and their star player either.
Carter played the 2017-18 season with the Sacramento Kings. He signed with the Kings to be a veteran mentor to a talented, young roster. Even at 41 years of age, Carter is still capable of making an impact on the game, whether it be on the court or on the bench.
During the 2017-18 season, Carter ended up averaging 5.4 points per game. He played just 17.7 minutes in 58 games, with four of those appearances being in the starting lineup.
Vince Carter is coming back for one more year #Vinsanity https://t.co/Bp4t7I9727 pic.twitter.com/wqkAMfN9C5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2018
Toronto was the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season this year. While they were the best regular season team in the East, they found themselves losing to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers once again in the playoffs. Dwane Casey ended up losing his job because of the sweep.
Only time will tell if the Raptors are interested in bringing Carter back. Rumors are already swirling that DeMar DeRozan could be shopped in trade rumors this offseason. Toronto is going through a bit of a crisis and may change course this offseason.
Wherever Carter ends up signing this offseason, he will be an excellent veteran leader both on and off the court. His experience and ability as a mentor would be very valuable for the Raptors, especially in the playoffs if they get back to that point in 2018-19.
