Why the Charlotte Hornets should target Vince Carter this offseason
With Vince Carter deciding to play one more season, the Charlotte Hornets have a chance to sign a veteran who could help develop and mentor their young talent.
Since Vince Carter has decided to play in his 22nd NBA season on Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets now know that they have a chance to sign the veteran. Carter is looking for one final team to play with, and who better than the Hornets, a team owned by Michael Jordan, who is one of his idols.
With the salary cap issues that Charlotte is dealing with, a veteran like Carter may be what the Hornets need. It’s unclear to what the Hornets plan to do with Nicolas Batum, but Carter would definitely be a cheap bench option.
At 42 years old, Carter is still able to wreak havoc on the league. While only playing in seventy-six games last season with the Atlanta Hawks, Carter was able to drop 123 threes.
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During last season, Carter was able to average 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game with the Hawks. He was able to average these numbers while only receiving 17.5 minutes per game.
Carter still has the ability to be a reliable scorer, and he even proved on Friday that he could still dunk by reverse dunking in dress slacks! Carter is a player who still has a lot of energy, and I think Miles Bridges could learn a lot from him.
Players like Dwayne Bacon and Miles Bridges can learn a lot from the legendary Vince Carter. His ability to create shots and drive to the rim could be helpful in the youngsters’ development.
Carter also can play both the two and three spot for Charlotte. Carter’s veteran leadership off the bench would be nice to share with Tony Parker. While athletism would be sacrificed for veteran experience, it’s always better to have players who take high percentage shots.
I think a cheap signing of this magnitude would also be enough to convince Kemba Walker to stay this offseason too. Both of these players are hard workers, and I think Walker could learn a lot from Carter.
If Charlotte decides to take a shot at Carter, they could expect to sign him for about $2 million, depending on his thoughts of Charlotte. This cheap option would give the Hornets a chance to find a trade partner for Batum if they decide to dump him.
We all saw what veteran leadership did for the Hornets last season, as Parker came back and was averaging consistent numbers off the bench. I think Carter would fit well in Charlotte’s rotation.
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With free agency opening up in under a month, Charlotte should consider giving the veteran a chance to finish out his career strong. Charlotte’s young players are in need of legendary leadership, and Carter could be that mentor.