ORLANDO MAGIC TRADE FOR VINCE CARTER

The Orlando Magic didn’t make quite as big of a splash on the trade market as Cleveland did a day earlier with the acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal, but they didn’t stand pat either.  On Thursday, Orlando shipped guards Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and center Tony Battie to New Jersey in exchange for eight time all star shooting guard Vince Carter and power forward  Ryan Anderson.

Carter will be expected to provide a dependable scoring punch as well as veteran leadership for a young Orlando team.  While the eleven year NBA veteran may not have the athleticism he possessed earlier in his career, he’s a heady, versatile player who can shoot for the perimeter and create his own shot—both qualities that were severely lacking in the Magic’s NBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Orlando GM Otis Smith offered the following statement in announcing the transaction:

"Vince [Carter] gives us a veteran, go-to scoring presence, especially at the end of games. 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."

A native of Daytona Beach who makes his off-season home in Orlando, Carter not only moves to his own backyard but will get a great look at winning an NBA Championship—an achievement that has eluded him during his career.  Carter found out about the deal at his basketball camp and initially thought it was a joke.  After realizing that it was legit, he had these thoughts:

"Every player hopes for an opportunity like this, to just once compete for an NBA championship. This a dream come true for me. Now I have a chance to win a championship."

For New Jersey, it was a straight up salary dump.  Alston and Battie are in the final years of their contract and the Nets haven’t ruled out the possibility of buying them out and releasing them.  Lee is a talented if erratic young shooting guard who has the intrinsic skill to become a very good NBA player.  Nets president Rod Thorn didn’t come out and admit his team was ‘dumping salaries’ but it was apparent to anyone reading ‘between the lines’:

"I think everyone here is sad because everybody liked Vince. But the reality of the situation is we have to do what is best for our franchise and move on from there. The trade we made today provides our franchise with numerous options in the long-term development of our team. 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."

What Thorn didn’t come out and say:  regardless of what they decide to do with Alston and Battie, the move will knock $16.5 million off the team’s payroll putting them well under the salary cap next summer.  Over the life of the contracts, they’ll save $40 million.  With the team spinning their wheels *with* Carter, it’s hard to argue with the logic of moving him.  The Nets got value in return and saved a ton of money.

The Magic also had a financial motive in the deal—Battie will make $6.2 million next year and Alston over $5 million.  Since neither player figures into their plans to a significant degree, getting the contracts off the books is a good move.  They were somewhat hesitant to part with Lee, but as their GM made abundantly clear in his statement announcing the deal their focus is on winning a championship now more than building for the future.