The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever

Toronto Raptors: What if the Raptors kept Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady together?

In 1997, the still-new Toronto Raptors drafted Tracy McGrady and later drafted his cousin Vince Carter the following season. For a short, memorable time, both played in Toronto, helping draw fans to the new team and establishing the foundation for the only successful NBA team outside of the United States.

Too bad that the high-flying pairing lasted just two seasons before T-Mac signed a contract with the Orlando Magic. At the time, it appeared as though the Magic were going to form one of the first super teams by pairing T-Mac with Grant Hill and Tim Duncan, but Duncan backed out and Hill couldn't stay healthy. That led to McGrady later being traded to Houston.

Meanwhile, Carter would play three more seasons in Toronto before he was shipped to the Nets. Carter was also criticized for admitting that he didn't try his hardest late in his tenure with the Raptors, souring his time with the team. Still, both players helped a new franchise get off the ground and keep the NBA in Canada while the Vancouver Grizzlies floundered. Of course, had they both stayed in Toronto, they could have formed one of the best perimeter one-two punches in NBA history and possibly won a championship years before the 2019 Raptors did.