Mike Ball is in his third season with raptors.com and he knows what's going down on the court and in the locker room. You can read Mike after most home games, throughout the week, and as a monthy raptors.commentator.

by Mike Ball
--raptors.commentator
December 17, 2004

(TORONTO) --- Well, it really is a new era in Raptors basketball now.

The rumblings have been heard for months, even years, but Friday the Raptors did what has been rumoured all season long and traded disgruntled forward Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams and Eric Williams as well as a pair of first round draft picks.

Carter’s fall from grace in Toronto has been well documented and anyone close to the team knew it was time for the franchise to make a change in direction. Carter’s production had dropped monumentally this season as it was clear from the expression on his face and demeanor on the court that he was no longer playing for the name on the front of his jersey.

Carter's injuries affected his popularity and effectiveness in Toronto. (NBAE/Getty Images)

However, with the guys the Raptors are bringing back, they’ll be getting players well-known around the league for their willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team and fuel their games on blood, sweat and tears more than God-given talent.

Alonzo Mourning is the biggest name among the three players coming back and his passion and dedication to the game is common knowledge to any casual observer of the game. However, he is less the key to this deal than either of the Williams or the pair of draft picks.

Mourning has been solid this season when healthy, but nagging injuries have slowed the aging warrior as well as his kidney ailment, and these conditions will limit his minutes -- if he comes to Toronto at all -- for what’s left of a near Hall-of-Fame career.

But even Mourning at his age can be a huge help to a team like the Raptors, who needed to shore up the middle considering the erratic play at the centre spot, which raised numerous questions about their rebounding and interior defensive capabilities. Not to mention the kind of mentoring he can do to young big men like Chris Bosh and more importantly, Rafael Araujo, who possesses the same bulky body-type and the never-back-down demeanor of the gritty veteran.

Having said all that, Mourning was pining for a trade to a contender and if he’s really against coming to Toronto to ply his trade with the Raptors he could be bait for a future deal on the Horizon. If not the Raptors will be plenty happy to have Zo as an option in the frontcourt.

Mourning will bring a whole lot of passion up north. (NBAE/Getty Images)

Eric Williams is a versatile power forward has spent most of his career with the Boston Celtics. He signed on as a free agent with the Nets this past offseason and is averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for Jersey.

He was selected 14th overall by the Celtics in the 1995 NBA Draft after a pair of seasons at both Providence and Vincennes College.

Aaron Williams fits a similar description to the other Williams, but has more of hard-nosed game and a whole lot more lift in his legs. Williams wasn’t seeing a lot of minutes in Jersey this year, but he’ll be a big help in the rebounding department for the Raptors.

Williams has spent time with seven teams in his 12 NBA seasons after going undrafted coming out of Xavier in 1993.

The coup for Toronto though could be the pair of first-round draft picks. The picks are lottery protected, but there is little chance the Raptors won’t get them, likely one this season and one next.

Both picks were obtained by the Nets from Denver in the Martin trade. Toronto receives the 2005 first-round pick originally belonging to Philadelphia. The pick is protected in the draft’s first eight positions in 2005, first five positions in 2006 and is unprotected in 2007. Toronto also receives the 2006 first-round pick originally belonging to Denver. That pick is protected in the first five positions in 2006, first two positions in 2007 and is unprotected in 2008. (source: Raptors Media Relations)

But, of course, the biggest part of this whole deal is the fact that Vince Carter is finished as a Raptor.

There certainly are those who welcome his exit out of town, but they can’t forget that this truly is the end of an era in the history of Toronto basketball. Carter brought a lot of excitement to the game in this city and despite the sour turn things took in the end, that can’t be forgotten.

However the best part about eras coming to an end is that, inevitably, a new one must begin.

And that can only be a good thing for Raptors fans.