20 best NBA Draft trades ever
By John Buhler
9. Vince Carter from Golden State Warriors to Toronto Raptors.
As he approaches his 40th birthday, Vince Carter was one of the most exciting small forwards of his era in the NBA. He is an eight-time All-Star and is arguably the most important player in Toronto Raptors history.
Carter introduced the game of basketball to the hockey-obsessed country of Canada during his seven seasons with the Raptors. His performance in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest essentially made him the Michael Jordan of basketball in Canada. So many youngsters in Canada wanted to play basketball to be like Carter.
Interestingly, Carter wasn’t drafted by the Raptors and could have been a Warrior if not for a draft day trade back in 1998. Carter, the No. 5 overall pick, was swapped for former North Carolina teammate and dear friend Antawn Jamison, who went No. 4.
Jamison proved to have a very successful NBA career as a sixth man and key rotational piece. Carter made basketball matter to millions of kids growing up in Ontario. Carter twice took this expansion era team to the Eastern Conference Playoffs. His jersey will proudly hang from the Air Canada Centre rafters in a few years time.
Next: 8. Ray Allen from Seattle SuperSonics to Boston Celtics.