Knicks Almost Landed Vince Carter

For New York Knicks owner James Dolan, one missed transactional opportunity drives him Vinsane.

Dolan spoke candidly about his time at the helm of the Knicks on the "Roommates Show," where he was queried by two of his current employees, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Many big names have entered and exited Manhattan under Dolan's watch but he most regretted not being able to bring in a prime Vince Carter in 2004.

"We were going to do the trade ... and the medical team came back and told us that he had a 90 percent severed Achillies tendon and that it would never hold up," Dolan recalled. "Once it ruptured, he'd never be the same player and, for that reason, we didn't do the trade."

Carter was one of the NBA's first stars of the new century, breaking out as a brilliant scorer and showstopping dunk artist with the Toronto Raptors. In 2004, Carter clashed with Raptors management and was eventually dealt to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round draft picks.

In New Jersey, Carter averaged 23.6 points and 5.8 rebounds over four-plus seasons and reached three All-Star Games. The Nets continued to compete with the Association's finest and Carter's No. 15 has since been retired by the organization.

Denied Carter's services, the Knicks dealt with the first stages of a six-year playoff drought that ended when they acquired Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire at the start of the next decade.

"I kept waiting for his Achillies tendon to break, it never broke," Dolan jokingly declared. "He was putting in 30, 40 a night. I was like yeah, we certainly dodged a bullet there, didn't we?"

To add insult to (lack of) injury, Carter went on to play over a decade more after leaving New Jersey in 2009. His final game, ironically enough, came against the Knicks at the end of the shortened 2019-20 season when he suited up for the Atlanta Hawks at 43 years old. He has since been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!