The New York Knicks could’ve landed one of the league’s best superstars in the 2000s if this planned trade for Vince Carter went through.
The New York Knicks have revamped their reputation as a franchise in the last five seasons after becoming a perennial Playoff contender in the East.
After being an NBA Finals franchise in the late-90s, the Knicks made the Playoffs just four times from 2001 to 2020. They ran through head coaches so often that Steve Kerr chose to join the Warriors instead of the Knicks because he believed he’d get fired within two years of joining.
Team owner James Dolan was heavily criticised for years for his management of the franchise. However, after the hiring of Leon Rose as Team President in 2020.
The franchise has flown up the ranks in the NBA and has a competitive future ahead with stars like Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Many people still have questions about the Knicks, but the franchise is confident they can succeed,
However, the franchise might have never gone through their years of pain if they successfully landed superstar Vince Carter in 2004.
Bad medical advice led to Knicks nixing trade for Carter
Knicks owner James Dolan appeared on ‘The Roommates Show’ with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Brunson asked Dolan if there was any notable player he regretted not having acquired.
The Executive Chairman of the Knicks promptly recalled how the franchise medical team stopped them from acquiring Vince Carter.
“A long time ago. He ended up playing for the Nets. Ah shoot, great scorer. It wasn’t Grant Hill. It was the guy out of Toronto. Vince Carter, he’s a great example.”
“We were gonna do the trade but the medical team came back and told us that he had a 90% severed Achilles tendon and that it would never hold up. Once it ruptured, he would never be the same player. For that reason, we didn’t do the trade.
“Then Vince Carter went on to have five-seven years, I kept hoping his Achilles tendon would… No. He was putting up 30-40 a night. Yeah, we certainly dodged a bullet there, didn’t we?”
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Instead of going to the Knicks, the Toronto Raptors sent him to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets. Carter spent five seasons with the Nets, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over 374 games.
It’s clear he had a lot left to give, especially because he played 22 seasons in the NBA and holds the record for most seasons played, tied with LeBron James.
Vince Carter stats and record against the Knicks
Vince Carter spent the majority of his prime playing in the Eastern Conference. Not only that, he played primarily in the Atlantic division which features the Knicks. Both the Raptors and Nets are in the same division, so Dolan definitely knows how lethal Carter was against New York in his career.
Over 63 games against the Knicks in his career, Carter averaged 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. The stats are skewed due to his long career as a role-player after his stardom had faded.
In his first 10 seasons where he played for the Raptors and Nets, Carter averaged 25.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 38 games against the Knicks.
They met in the Playoffs early in Vince’s career with the Raptors. He averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in eight games. Carter was swept 3-0 in the 2000 Playoffs in his sophomore season by New York. Next season, he led Toronto to a 3-2 win over New York in the first round of the 2001 Playoffs
He was a dominant force few could match in his prime. Unfortunately, the Knicks couldn’t deploy him as their primary weapon, or else they could’ve avoided a 15-season stretch with only three Playoff seasons. At least they’re competitive now.
