If Dwyane Wade can make his way back to the Miami Heat less than two years after leaving, then surely Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors can sync up for a swan song following a 13-year relationship break.
We’re not being the least bit facetious here. This is a distinct possibility if the right stars align, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange:
Please, Powers That Be, make this happen. Pretty please. With sugar on top.
On a related note: It probably isn’t going to happen. The Sacramento Kings already waived Georgios Papagiannis, the No. 13 pick in the 2016 draft, as a result of their trade-deadline happenings. If they were going to broker a buyout or flat-out waive Carter’s expiring $8 million contract, Thursday would have been the logical time to do it. They needed a roster spot, and the 41-year-old doesn’t come close to fitting their timeline.
Plus, they had just flipped Malachi Richardson, the No. 22 pick in 2016, for what amounts to cap-sheet fodder in Bruno Caboclo. They had every incentive to look for a veteran to cut rather than eat into their youth, however unimpressive both Richardson and Papgiannis had been.
Luckily for the Raptors, the Kings are the Kings. Maybe Carter will ask for out before the March 1 deadline. Or perhaps they’ll just try buying him out no matter what. Either way, the Raptors will take him. The extent to which the buyout market will yield shooters this year is uncertain, and Carter, aside from being a victory for nostalgia, still has the ability to spot-up behind the arc and make an offensive impact.
