James Dolan Recalls Near Vince Carter-Knicks Deal Nixed by Off-Target Injury Concerns

Vinsanity almost came before Linsanity at MSG.

New York Knicks executive chairman Dolan sits court side at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Knicks owner James Dolan made an appearance on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart's Roommates Show podcast Thursday. Brunson, the Knicks' star point guard, asked Dolan if he can recall a transaction which came close to the finish line but eventually fell through.

One near deal did stand out, although Dolan had to rack his brain to remember the player's name. Turns out, the Knicks almost traded for eight-time NBA All-Star and one of the best dunkers in league history, Vince Carter. The Knicks had a deal on the table to acquire Carter from the Toronto Raptors, but New York didn't pull the trigger due to medical concerns.

"We were going to do the trade and the medical team came back and told us that [Carter] had a 90%-severed Achilles tendon," Dolan responded on the Roommates Show. "They said that it would never hold up and once it ruptured he would never be the same player. For that reason, we didn't do the trade."

Carter was dealt from Toronto to the then-New Jersey Nets early in the 2004 season. After the trade, he went on to make four All-Star teams in a row, picking up right where he left off from his days as a Raptor. And Dolan watched closely, wondering what could have been.

"I kept waiting for his Achilles tendon to break and it never broke," Dolan continued.

The close call had to hurt extra with Carter lighting it up in the same market. Especially as the Knicks were in the middle of a decade to forget.

But, imagine if Madison Square Garden saw Vinsanity before there was Linsanity.

---

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

feed