September 16, 2004

IT MAY BE TIME TO SEND WHINY VINCE TO AN NBA PURGATORY

       It’s official!  Vince Carter has finally spoken out and stated publicly something everyone has known for months—he wants to be traded.  Why it took him until midway through September to make the statement is unknown.  How long can one person hide behind his agents, his friends, his hangers-on, his mother?  For Vince the first word about his desire to leave Toronto came about in May—so it took him nearly five months to finally admit it.  Was Vince trying to ensure that the fans wouldn’t hate him for demanding a trade while he was demanding one from behind the scenes?  He must have known that if this was his strategy it was failing miserably.  The media and the fans have castigated him for his petulant and childish behaviour, and he must have finally realized that there wasn’t any point in trying to save his reputation.

       Of course, around the league, Vince’s reputation is that of a mulit-talented player who is extremely soft between the ears.  With a guaranteed contract of around $13 million this season and one that calls for incremental raises each year it continues to be very difficult to trade Vince.  Also, with as poor a reputation as he has the league’s other General Managers are very reluctant to part with key players to bring Vince onto their team.  The trading team must part with salaries that are somewhere between 10-15% of the salaries they are receiving so it’s not like the Raptors could trade Vince and acquire three first round draft choices.  They have to pick up around $11-$12 million in salary for the coming year. 

      Star players like Ray Allen and Allen Iverson have been rumoured to be included in possible trades for Vince.  Of course Iverson isn’t going anywhere, least of all to a Toronto organization that puts a premium on character.  As for Allen he signed a contract the year before this latest Collective Bargaining Agreement ( I have to be careful about using these words around hockey fans).  That puts Allen in the stratosphere with regards to his contract situation—likely 5 years at $100 million—or way too much for the Raptors to even consider.  So how many other star players are available?  Perhaps the only other one that has requested a trade is Peja Stoyakovic in Sacramento.  The problem with this deal is that Peja makes between $7-$8 million—certainly a bargain is this day and age.  For the deal to work the Kings—a team that does not have much in the way of depth anymore—would have to include another player or players to get the deal done, something that is highly unlikely.

       Washington might be interested in dealing newly acquired, and Carter college pal, Antwan Jamison.  It wouldn’t be the first time these friends would be traded for each other—they were part of a draft day deal between Golden State and Toronto in 1999.  But, while these players have similar contracts, it is unlikely that Toronto would be interested in Jamison since his talents do not equate with Vince’s skills.  Toronto is not eager to trade Vince, despite Vince’s histrionics, and does not want to make a deal just to make a deal.  It would be ironic, however, if this deal went down since Vince complains about getting nowhere with the Raptors and he would be going to a team that has an even worse reputation and looks to be years away from competing.  Maybe this is something the Raptors could look into, providing the Wizards pick up the Alvin Williams contract and perhaps include Kwame Brown in the package.  It would be sweet to see Vince troll around the floor with very little talent and with a team that will likely be ecstatic if they win 35 games. 

      Be careful what you wish for—you may get it.

       Or maybe the Raptors could look into a deal with the L.A. Clippers and acquire Elton Brand.  There is certainly no guarantee that the Clips would be willing to trade their best player, but they took a long, and ultimately losing, run at Kobe.  Vince would fill their need for a star scorer--something that may appeal to them as they compete against the new Shaq-less Lakers.  And again it would be sweet to watch Vince plug away for a perennial losing franchise.  Of course Vince would probably be happy since LA’s glitz would satisfy his need to be a marketing tool.

       Other purgatories that would love to have Vince—Atlanta, Orlando, and Chicago.  The problem, of course, is that none of these teams have anything the Raptors would want.  The magic now has Steve Francis, but his contract (he makes more than Vince) does not measure up to his talents.  Atlanta is a wasteland with only the gargantuan, and expiring Antoine Walker (no interest by Toronto) contract on its books.  Chicago is once again rebuilding with a bunch of young guys and the only hefty contract left on their books is Antonio Davis (because nobody but nobody wants him or his inflated salary). 

       So you see Vince, it’s not like the Raptors haven’t actively sought out a deal for you—it’s just that there really isn’t one available.  It’s not like you’re in the league’s elite like Shaq or Tracy, and your contract is certainly prohibitive when looking to find a trading partner.  You also can’t possibly think that the Raptors would simply accommodate you and take the best deal possible, even if it doesn’t make any sense for the club.  The Raptors were fortunate last season that the Bulls were looking to unload Jalen Rose at the same time your former teammate, and previous team whiner, Davis wanted out.  Remember, though, Davis was at the end of his career—you are right in the middle of yours.

       So Vince—get to set to start the year as a member of the Raptors, and get set to be booed lustily by your formerly beloved fan base.  Who knows—maybe you’ll like the new organization and the new style of play—it seems that management is banking on that fact.  Then you might be able to heal the wounds you’ve created and caused and begin to renew that career that once seemed headed for the hall-of fame.  It’s all up to you.