Should the LA Clippers make a play for Vince Carter in free agency?
21-year veteran Vince Carter is gearing up for one final season in 2019-2020. Should the LA Clippers look to add him to their bench?
It’s not often that adding a 42-year-old player could make a bench unit better, but that may be the case for whatever team Vince Carter ends up on in what will be the final season of his 21-year career. Could it be the LA Clippers?
Carter, an eight-time All-Star, has been playing in the NBA since the 1998-1999 season. Once known for throwing down the best slam dunks known to man, Carter has become more of a three-point specialist in his advanced age. He holds a career average of 37.4 percent shooting from range, and last season with the Atlanta Hawks, he managed a 38.9 percent clip on 4.2 attempts per game.
Despite currently being the oldest player in the league, Carter still has game. He’s still capable of slamming some home when necessary, and he’s nowhere near as slow as some might expect.
Carter was efficient in his role with Atlanta last season, averaging 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. He also appeared in 76 of the Hawks’ 82 games, and made nine starts. He functioned almost exclusively as a three-point threat, as 4.2 of his 6.2 field goal attempts per game came from deep.
Often noted as one of the best mentors in the game today, there’s plenty that Carter could offer to the Clippers outside of just bench scoring. With young rising stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet on the roster, Carter would surely be more than willing to share some of his knowledge and help the two become the best versions of themselves.
On-court contributions aside, perhaps the best thing about potentially bringing Carter onto the team is his contract. He signed a minimum deal with the Hawks in free agency last summer, and he would likely earn about the same salary this year from whichever team decides to pay him. For a potential title contender looking to sign big-name players, filling out the bench with minimum salaries is crucial.
Surprisingly, Carter has never won a championship during his 21-year NBA career. And while there’s been no indication that he’ll only sign with a contender this summer, it seems reasonable to believe that he’d be more inclined to join a winning team where he could still contribute.
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If the LA Clippers need guys to fill out their bench, Carter might not be a bad candidate to take a look at.