Vince Carter Traded to Orlando Magic

Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson have been traded to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee. Carter will join fellow high flyer, Dwight Howard. The two could form one of the most athletic combo duos ever. Vince Carter, who averaged 20.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, and 4.7 apg, played in 80 games last season with the Nets. At 32, he will provide veteran leadership and will serve as a viable slasher for the Magic, something the team desperately needed to address. The New Jersey Nets and the Orlando Magic will officially announce the deal before the 2009 NBA Draft.

Carter, an 8-time All-Star, was once notorious for leading All-Star balloting. Vince Carter joined elite company as one of only three players (Michael Jordan and Julius Erving) to lead All-Star balloting 3 or more times. Dwight Howard has since taken over Vince's reign and has set a record for most All-Star votes received with 3,150,181 votes. Dwight became the first player ever to surpass the 3 million-vote mark.

In addition, Vince Carter and Dwight Howard are both NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champions. Carter has never played with a formidable big man of Howard's caliber. In fact, Vince never even had a supporting cast worthy of championship consideration. The Magic not only provide size for the athletic swingman, but a legitimate Point Guard in Jameer Nelson and solid shooters such as, Rashard Lewis.

The Orlando Magic will be losing two valuable pieces in this trade, rookie Courtney Lee and veteran Rafer Alston. Both were big contributors in the Magic's playoff run this season. Alston was acquired before the playoffs to fill in for Jameer Nelson. He expressed interest in staying with the Magic even with a healthy Jameer Nelson. Courtney Lee will be a vital piece for the Nets as a role player. In just one year, Lee has established himself as an excellent defender and perimeter shooter.

The New Jersey Nets will also be losing Ryan Anderson, their 21st pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Anderson is a 6-10 PF who can shoot the long ball effectively. He will most likely come off the bench for Orlando, unless the Magic are unable to bring back Hedo Turkoglu.

Notes:

It'll be interesting to see who gets the number 15 jersey number if Turkoglu does stick around. Vince Carter has sported 15 throughout his entire career, going back to his days at Mainland High School. Carter will also be returning to his home state of Florida. He was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. Orlando is only an hour away from his hometown.