Veteran free agent forward Vince Carter has reached a one-year deal to join the Atlanta Hawks, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes that the Hawks pursued Carter because they wanted a veteran voice for their young team:
Carter, 41, will be starting his 21st season in an NBA career during which he has scored 24,868 points.
Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk wanted Carter’s influence around a young, rebuilding roster. Atlanta selected three players, including guard Trae Young, in the first-round of the 2018 NBA draft, and 2017 first-round pick John Collins also is a key part of the franchise’s future. Carter was drafted on June 24, 1998, nearly three months before Young was born — on Sept. 19, 1998.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports the deal is a one-year deal for $2.4 million, the veteran’s minimum. Wojnarowski tweeted that the Hawks were looking for a veteran presence for their young locker room.
Carter averaged 5.4 points while playing 17.7 minutes in 58 games last season for the Sacramento Kings. Once he joins the Hawks, it will be the eighth team he has played for, joining the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings.
He is 325 points from passing Jerry West for No. 21 on the all-time scoring list and 412 points from passing Reggie Miller for No. 20. Last season, at 40 years, 46 days old, Carter became the oldest player to start an NBA game since Juwan Howard in 2013.
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