Oklahoma City Thunder: Interest In Vince Carter?

It is being reported that the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with a few other teams, have interest in 37-year-old Vince Carter.

Last season, Carter averaged 11.9 points per game and shot 39.4 percent from beyond the arc. He hit a lot of big time shots and played crunch time minutes for the Mavericks, who took the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. At this point in his career, Carter is your prototypical 3-and-D player.

He is going to knock down open 3s and use what is left of his athleticism and his great mind for the game to be serviceable on defense. It sounds like a player the Thunder may want to think about signing him.

It appears the Thunder are going to let Thabo Sefolosha walk. Sefolosha has been a starter for the Thunder for the last five seasons, but after a decline in production, the Thunder are moving on.

Sefolosha was strictly in the lineup for his defense. His length and quickness allowed him to guard positions 1, 2, or 3.

All he had to do was knock down the occasional open 3-pointer he got. When he couldn’t get on the floor in the Western Conference Finals, you know his reign was over. And this is where Carter comes in.

Kind of.

Carter would not be a starter if the Thunder get a chance to sign him. At his advanced age, he can’t play starter minutes and hasn’t played in that role in a few years.

He is much more comfortable coming off the bench. And he would for the Thunder because I believe Reggie Jackson will be in the starting lineup come next season.

It sounds like the Thunder have made Jackson a top priority this offseason and I think we see him get a rookie extension and a starting spot for next year.

Carter would be a nice fit off the bench with his scoring ability and his veteran leadership. I don’t know how much of a chance the Thunder have to get him because it sounds like Mark Cuban and the Mavs are making him a priority and he obviously already has a relationship with them.

However, Carter is still without an NBA ring and we have seen veterans with big time resumes chase the rings to boost their legacy in recent years. Carter is likely a Hall of Famer, but he knows an NBA championship could solidify that and the Thunder probably have the better shot at a title than the Mavs.

I would be pleasantly surprised if Carter was on the Thunder next season, but he is a player who could fit right into their culture and system next season while providing a spark off the bench.