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Our magic might be getting Vince Carter WOW!

 

The New Jersey Nets have traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee.

 

 

 

 

NBA Rumor Central

ESPN Insider has the updated buzz from the National Basketball Association rumor mill.

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"Vince [Carter] gives us a veteran, go-to scoring presence, especially at the end of games," Magic general manager Otis Smith said in a team release. "Our goal remains the same -- to win a championship. Any time you can add an All-Star to help you reach your goals, you have to do it. Vince has been a bonafide scorer in this league for 11 seasons and we are excited to add both him and Ryan [Anderson] to our team. We thank Rafer, Tony and Courtney for their efforts and wish them success in the future."

 

An eight-time NBA All Star, Carter, 32, grew up in Daytona Beach and lives in Orlando.

 

The trade gives the Magic even more star power on their quest to win an NBA championship. The addition of Carter to a lineup that already consists of All-Star players Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson would make Orlando the favorite to win the Eastern Conference title next year if the franchise also finds a way to bring back Hedo Turkoglu, who will opt out of his contract this summer.

 

Orlando is hoping Carter will provide center Howard with a perimeter scorer who can create his own shot -- something they lacked in losing the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

 

NBA TRADE MACHINE

Check out the details of the VC deal in our NBA Trade Machine.

 

As for the Nets, the move is a cost-cutting measure. Both Alston and Battie are in the last year of their contracts, and trading for them would shave $16.5 million off New Jersey's roster in the summer of 2010 and put the Nets well below the salary cap.

 

"The trade we made today provides our franchise with numerous options in the long-term development of our team," Nets president Rod Thorn said in a team release. "We believe that in Courtney Lee, we have acquired a young, dynamic player who will be a very good player in this league for a number of years. Rafer Alston has proven to be a quality player in this league for a number of years, and Tony Battie will provide a strong veteran presence off the bench."

 

Over the life of the contracts, the Nets save $40 million by making the deal.

 

The deal also gives the Nets a young, promising shooting guard in Lee.

 

Lee, a rookie from Western Kentucky last season, was a late first-round pick in 2008 and turned out to be one of the Magic's few bright spots in recent drafts. Lee started 42 games and was a solid contributor for the Magic last season, averaging 8.4 points per game.

 

But the Magic were willing to give up Lee to acquire Carter and clear payroll.

 

With Nelson already named the starting point guard for next season, the team was looking to move Alston -- and his $5.25 million contract that ends after next season.

 

Alston was acquired at the trade deadline from the Houston Rockets after Nelson suffered what was then called a season-ending shoulder surgery. Alston's acquisition largely saved the Magic's season, but when Nelson was able to return for the finals, Alston complained about his minutes and the point guards never could find their rhythm.

 

The Magic's biggest cost-cutting move is parting ways with the 33-year-old Battie, who will make $6.2 million next season in the final year of his contract.

 

Carter, a proven offensive force who averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 80 games last season, carried most of the load for New Jersey along with point guard Devin Harris and rookie Brook Lopez.

 

Anderson, a 6-foot-10 forward who was the 21st pick overall in last year's draft, started 30 games and averaged 7.4 points and 4.7 rebounds.

 

With the 11th selection in the 2009 NBA draft, the Nets are likely to select Louisville's Terrance Williams, sources tell ESPN.com.

 

Information from NBA Insider Chad Ford and The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Our magic might be getting Vince Carter WOW!

 

 

Yeah, I have mixed emotions on this one. For one, I really think Courtney Lee is going to be a very good player. Certainly, Vince is a star. I think he will probably replace Turkoglu, who I think the Magic know is going to be moving on. The one thing about this though is the Magic get a legitimate shot creator. They had others who were not bad shot creators, like Turk and Lewis, but Vince is another level.

 

However, I wonder if Vince will mesh with this team. His cousin left Orlando on bad terms (McGrady), and Vince will have to play second fiddle on this team a little bit to Dwight. I think it can work, but Vince needs to check his ego at the door. It is a homecoming for Vince, who played high school at nearby Mainland High, I believe. The other part is that Vince is 32, how many good seasons does he have left in him? I was hoping the Magic would make a move for a power forward... any of you NJ fans have any critique or comments about the other guy in the deal, Ryan Anderson? I wish the Magic would go for David Lee (I know Boozer is a pipe dream).

 

Even though I think the Magic will still be right at the top of the conference, I liked the potential of Courtney Lee a lot, I thought he could be part of the core of this Magic team for a long time. I saw him, Dwight, Jameer, and Lewis staying together, and hopefully Pietrus, too. The one guy I thought they could use was a post scorer/rebounder at the PF position like a Carlos Boozer to slide Lewis to his natural position at SF, let Courtney start at the 2, and obviously Jameer and Dwight at the 1 and 5. I'm not throwing Turk in there because I think it's a foregone conclusion he'll be elsewhere next year. I like young, long, athletic guards. Vince is long and athletic... but how long before we have to replace him? For the immediate future, I think it is a good move, because I think Orlando got in trouble last year when guys like Turk and a few times with Courtney, failed to finish at the rim. Carter is a finisher and I think Dwight will be helped immensely by his slashing.

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