Knicks Owner Reveals He Nearly Traded for Former Raptors Legend Vince Carter

Vince Carter could have been a New York Knick in the early 2000s.

That’s according to Knicks owner James Dolan, who recently revealed on The Roommates Show podcast with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart that the franchise had serious interest in trading for Carter in 2004. However, the deal ultimately fell apart due to concerns raised by the Knicks' medical team.

The issue? Carter’s Achilles. According to Dolan, team doctors determined that Carter’s tendon was on the verge of a tearing, making him too much of an injury risk for the Knicks to commit to a deal.

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

At the time, Carter was in the midst of a falling out with the Toronto Raptors, the franchise where he had spent the first seven seasons of his career and had become a superstar. After a disappointing start to the 2004-05 season and growing frustration with management, Carter became one of the biggest names on the trade market.

Though it’s unclear what the Knicks would have offered, the deal never materialized. Instead, Carter was sent to the New Jersey Nets in what became one of the most lopsided trades in Raptors history. Toronto received Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round picks. Mourning never played a game for the Raptors, as he refused to report and was eventually bought out.

Had Carter landed in New York, he likely would have joined a Knicks team led by Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford, potentially reshaping the team’s trajectory.

As for Carter’s Achilles, the concerns proved to be entirely unfounded. The former All-Star went on to play an additional 15 seasons after the trade, never suffering a rupture.

"I kept waiting for his Achilles tendon to break, it never broke. Putting in 30, 40 a night," Dolan said. "I'm like, 'Yeah, we certainly dodged a bullet there, didn't we?'"

Carter thrived in New Jersey, averaging 23.6 points and 5.8 rebounds over four-plus seasons while earning three more All-Star selections. He later extended his career into his 40s, playing until the 2019-20 season before retiring at 43.

Instead of flaming out due to injury, Carter went on to secure a place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024.

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