NBA Free Agents: Vince Carter Waived by Phoenix Suns, so Who Are Top Suitors?

The Phoenix Suns have waived Vince Carter as expected, according to azcentral.com.

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"Carter's waiver was planned since the time they acquired him nearly a year ago. His contract's final year was worth $18 million but only $4 million of it was guaranteed. The Suns extended the deadline to waive him in June to delay the $4 million payment."

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Carter will now hit the waiver wire, where it would shock the entire world if he was claimed. Once he does clear the waiver wire there are a few teams that could be interested in his services. 

The Miami Heat had been shopping for wings, but it's possible that after acquiring Shane Battier and retaining James Jones earlier today, it's possible they are satisfied. 

Another team that has been shopping for wings is the San Antonio Spurs, who have looked at Josh Howard and were also trying to land Caron Butler and Shane Battier before they were signed. Carter's former teammate Grant Hill was also on their list. 

The Chicago Bulls are the third team that could show interest in Carter's services.

They are team that has been pursuing a shooting guard who can score to play alongside MVP point guard Derrick Rose. While Carter is not as proficient a scorer as he used to be, he still can put the ball in the bucket. 

Last year he averaged 17.9 points per 36 minutes played. That's significantly lower than the 22.0 points he's averaged over his career, but it's still pretty solid. 

This is not an amnesty and shouldn't be confused with other players like Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas who were amnestied today. They will have a bidding process for teams under the cap. 

This is a normal waiver situation. Teams can either pick him and pay his full contract value of $18 million, or they can wait until he clears and offer him the minimum.