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Vince Carter on Possibility of Retirement: 'I Plan on Coming Back'
April 11, 2018
Sacramento Kings shooting guard Vince Carter reiterated Wednesday he expects to return for the 2018-19 NBA season, but that will likely mark the end of his career.
Carter explained his outlook in the final diary entry with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated about his 20th professional campaign.
"I plan on coming back next season," he said. "I plan on coming back one more season. I'm almost 90 percent sure that's it after next season."
Carter made similar comments in late December, per Spears.
"But I still say one more year. That is just how I've been feeling," he said. "It is what it is. One more. I'd like to play one more year. Then, I'd probably just walk away."
The 41-year-old University of North Carolina product is no longer the high-impact player he was during his peak years with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets. He's averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing just 17.6 minutes per contest across 57 appearances this season.
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He's still turned back the clock a couple of times. One instance came Dec. 27 when he tallied 24 points, five rebounds and three assists in a 109-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Carter, an impending unrestricted free agent, said Wednesday he's not sure whether he'll be back in Sacramento.
He previously expressed interest in a Raptors reunion, saying "it'll happen one day. It's supposed to happen," per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Ultimately, it will be easier to identify potential landing spots after the June 21 draft and July's first wave of free agency. But as long as Carter wants to play another season, there should be interest in a veteran leader who's still capable of providing an offensive spark off the bench.