Should the Sacramento Kings Trade Vince Carter?
By Rafe Wong
With the NBA Trade Deadline coming up, should the Sacramento Kings trade Vince Carter?
The Sacramento Kings will need to make some tough decisions once the NBA Trade Deadline comes up. Some of these choices will be if the team decides to part with some of their veteran players.
In this piece, I will specifically write about Vince Carter, and whether it would be smart for the Kings to trade him in the possibility of receiving a better asset(s) in return.
VC’s Season Assessment
Because Carter has not played much this season, 25 games while averaging 15 minutes a contest, he does not have a good sample size to evaluate his performance this year. With that being said, however, I do think he has shown that even at the age of 40 he can still contribute.
For the season, the former All-Star is averaging four points, two rebounds, and an assist per game while shooting 37.1% from the court and 30.4% from beyond the perimeter. He has been average on the offensive end but has been able to create a spark in some of the games he has appeared in.
On the defensive end, it has also been mediocre for Carter. But I will say this, he has been one of the smarter defenders on the team as he is active when manning up against opponents. As a result, he currently has a 106.8 defensive rating for the year. Not great, but ranked second amongst his teammates (not including JaKarr Sampson).
Should The Kings Pull The Trigger?
In my opinion, trading Carter would not be a good move for the Kings. Although he is not an asset on the court for every game, his wisdom and veteran leadership is extremely valuable for this team. With so much young and inexperienced talent on the roster, having a guy like Carter who has achieved so much in the NBA could lead the young wave of players in the right direction going forth.
Even if Carter was to be part of a packaged deal, I would still be hesitant to trade him unless the Kings are for sure getting a better deal in return or if Carter requests a trade to join a playoff contender.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am not a fan of trading Vince Carter this season. Although his play on the court will not lift the Kings to being competitive, he is a player who the Kings’ youth have respected and are motivated to learn from going forward.
In my opinion, the development of Sacramento’s young players is the most important part of this season. And having a guy like Carter who brings a ton of basketball knowledge and experience is the perfect situation in order for the group of talented, but inexperienced, players to get better.