It was reported last week the Hawks were going to keep a roster spot open for Vince Carter. The 42-year-old wants to return to the NBA for one final ride but would like to be on a team where he will see the floor.
That is going to be difficult in Atlanta, who spent two top ten draft picks on players that play the same position as Carter. De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish are going to receive most of the minutes on the wing. The rest will be spread out between Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Bembry, Evan Turner, Jabari Parker, and now Vince Carter as well.
Adrian Wojnarowski broke Monday the ten-time All-Star will be returning to Atlanta for his final season.
Free agent Vince Carter has agreed to a deal to return to the Atlanta Hawks, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 5, 2019
Carter played a pivotal role both on and off the court for the Hawks last year. Every member of Atlanta’s young core will tell you how much of a pleasure he was to have on the team.
When asked if he would like Vince Carter to return at the end of last season, John Collins exclaimed, “Hell yeah!” The soon-to-be 22-year veteran also played a crucial role in helping Trae Young navigate through his early-season woes. But on top of his leadership in the locker room, he was a remarkably productive player when on the floor.
Carter shot 41.9% from the field and was a sniper from three-point range, making 38.9% of his attempts. It was his best three-point FG % since he shot 40.6% with the Mavericks back in 2012-2013. He also averaged two more points per game than he did the year before with the Kings in fewer minutes per game.
Here are the two things we know about Carter and the Hawks: He was significantly more productive in a high-powered, fast-paced offense that emphasized shooting, and there is mutual respect between the two sides. The Hawks always knew they were going to try and convince Carter to return, but understood there could be better situations with more playing time out there and allowed him to do his due diligence. In the end, Carter decided to play the final season of his legendary Hall-of-Fame career in a Hawks uniform – every Atlanta fan should be excited about that.