Vince Carter wanted out of Toronto and got his wish Friday, getting traded to the Nets for three players and two No. 1 picks in a deal that immediately raised the question: Will Jason Kidd still want out of New Jersey?
Carter, a five-time All-Star, saw his production and popularity tumble in Toronto.
PHOTO: AP
The Raptors had been exploring different trade options for weeks, though the Nets had not been one of the rumored destinations.
In New Jersey, the big question this season has been whether the Nets might take another step in their breakup and deal away the disgruntled Kidd after trading Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles in the offseason.
"I hope this changes his mind a little bit. I hope he will give it a chance and see where it goes from here," said Carter, Kidd's teammate on the 2000 US Olympic team.
Carter, out with a strained left Achilles' injury, will not be in uniform Sunday when the Nets play at Toronto.
Kidd, in Memphis with the Nets, sounded pleased by the trade but noncommittal about his future.
"I'm a Net until told otherwise," Kidd said. "I've always asked to be competitive, to put a competitive team out there, and that's what they're trying to do."
Mourning also was dissatisfied with the Nets' offseason moves and had asked for a trade. He appeared in 18 games while making a comeback from a kidney transplant, averaging 10.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Eric Williams had been starting at small forward for New Jersey, while Aaron Williams had dropped out of the Nets' rotation as a backup center.
All three former Nets will add much-needed size to the Raptors, who also received two of the first-round picks the Nets acquired from Denver in the Martin trade.
Carter earned the nicknames "Air Canada" and "Half-Man, Half-Amazing" for his high-flying dunks, which breathed life into a moribund franchise and made him easily the biggest star to play in Canada since the NBA expanded there 10 years ago.
He spent all six-plus years of his career in Toronto and leaves the Raptors as the franchise leader in 10 categories, including scoring, 3-pointers made and games started.
But his production has been on a slow decline since he averaged 27.6 points in 2000-2001 and brought the Raptors within one victory of a trip to the conference finals. Carter has become less aggressive, often settling for jumpers rather than driving the ball and drawing contact, and he has been unable to shake a reputation of being a ``soft'' player.
Carter's current averages of 15.9 points and 3.3 rebounds are career-lows, as is his field goal percentage of .411.
"The organization has been good to me and given me an opportunity to grow and make a name for myself," Carter said. "Where it went wrong? I don't know. I guess it just got to where it was time to move on."
Carter is headed to a Nets team that sorely missed the athleticism it lost when Martin left for Denver in the offseason. With Kidd healthy again and Richard Jefferson on one wing, New Jersey has a chance to return to the up-tempo style that made it one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
"Vince said it to me that sometimes we just need a change of scenery," Raptors general manager Rob Babcock said. "And this is probably a situation where it is the best thing for Vince and the best thing for us."
It seemed inevitable that Carter would be traded, but that didn't do much to soften the blow when the deal was announced.
"Any time you lose a guy like Vince, it's a big blow," Toronto forward Donyell Marshall said. "He was to Canada what Michael Jordan was to the Bulls."
Thorn said there was an outside chance Mourning would not report to Toronto because he wants to play for a contender.
"We did this trade knowing that his medical condition may mean that he never plays for us," Babcock said. "We would do this trade regardless of whether he was in it or not."
Aaron Williams averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in four-plus seasons with the Nets.
Eric Williams, in his 10th NBA season, is averaging 12.6 points this season.
"This isn't a deal where we are sending three guys who didn't help us," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "They did help us. But it was an opportunity ... to acquire an All-Star player."
The two first-round selections sent to Toronto were originally acquired from Denver as part of a trade made this past summer.
Mourning, a seven-time All-Star for the Hornets and Heat, played in a total of just 30 games for the Nets. Mourning underwent kidney transplant surgery on Dec. 19, 2003, causing him to miss the remainder of that season.
Jamaal Tinsley scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half to lead the Indiana Pacers to an 89-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors, who traded All Star Vince Carter to New Jersey earlier Friday.
Rookie center David Harrison added a career-high 22 points and had seven rebounds, and Jeff Foster had 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Pacers, who won their second straight after a seven-game losing streak.
Reggie Miller sealed the win when he hit a jumper from the corner while falling out of bounds with 1 second left on the shot clock, giving the Pacers an 89-86 lead with 8.6 seconds left.
Jalen Rose scored 23 points, but it wasn't enough against Indiana, which trailed by as many as 13 in the first half.
The Raptors traded Carter to the Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and two first-round draft picks.
Grizzlies 89, Nets 84
In Memphis, Tennessee, Jason Williams had a season-high 27 points and six assists to lead Memphis over short-handed New Jersey.
Richard Jefferson, who had 18 of his 26 points in the fourth period, got the Nets within 85-84 with 16 seconds left when he followed Jason Kidd's missed layup. But four free throws by James Posey in the final 12 seconds sealed Memphis' victory.
The Nets hope to get a burst of offense soon from Vince Carter, a five-time All-Star who was acquired from Toronto earlier Friday.
The trade and a groin injury to reserve guard Travis Best left the Nets with only eight available players.
Pau Gasol scored 16 points for Memphis and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Knicks 113, 76ers 107, OT
In Philadelphia, Allan Houston hit the tying 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in regulation, Kurt Thomas scored six points in overtime, and New York rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat Philadelphia.
Thomas opened overtime with a basket, and the Sixers never led again. Jerome Williams had a three-point play, and Thomas sealed the win with two free throws with 22 seconds left.
Stephon Marbury led the Knicks with 27 points, Houston had 15, Williams 13, and Thomas had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Kenny Thomas scored 26 points, and Allen Iverson had 24 for Philadelphia, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Trail Blazers 100, Hawks 84
In Atlanta, Zach Randolph scored 23 points, and Darius Miles added 20 to lead Portland past Atlanta.
Derek Anderson added 15 points for Portland, which broke a two-game losing streak.
Rookie Josh Smith led the Hawks with 14 points, matching a career high. All six of his baskets came on dunks. Antoine Walker, Tony Delk and Kenny Anderson each had 13 points for Atlanta, which lost its fourth in a row.
The Trail Blazers shot 58 percent (41-of-71) in the game, compared to Atlanta's 36 percent (32-of-89).
Celtics 114, Jazz 106
In Boston, Gary Payton scored a season-high 27 points and added 11 assists to lift the host Celtics.
The Celtics hit 56 percent of their shots to take a 58-40 lead at halftime and stretched that to as much as 21, leading 84-63 on two free throws by Marcus Banks with 1:36 left in the third quarter. The closest Utah came after that was eight points, the first time on Carlos Boozer's layup with 3:56 to play that made it 97-89.
Boston won for the third time in four games with the only loss coming by one point, 100-99, to Denver on Wednesday. Utah played its third game in four nights and is 2-9 in its last 11.
For the Celtics, Mark Blount had 18 points and Raef LaFrentz had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Utah was led by Boozer with 25 points and 12 rebounds, Mehmet Okur with 21 points and Carlos Arroyo with 20.
Timberwolves 113, Clippers 86
In Minneapolis, Wally Szczerbiak scored a season-high 29 points, including 11 in the third quarter, and Minnesota beat the Los Angeles Clippers.
Szczerbiak pumped in seven quick points in the first two minutes of the third quarter, part of an 11-1 run that gave the Timberwolves a 58-43 lead. Minnesota stretched its lead throughout the fourth quarter and cruised to its largest margin of victory this season.
Kevin Garnett scored 28 points and led Minnesota with 10 rebounds and seven assists for his 21st double-double of the season.
Elton Brand scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Clippers, who have lost four straight.
Spurs 83, Hornets 67
In New Orleans, Tim Duncan had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead San Antonio to their third straight victory and 11th win in 13 games.
Rookie Beno Udrih scored 12 points in 18 minutes, and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker each added 10 points for the Spurs. Robert Horry hit three 3-pointers during a key run in the second half, helping San Antonio extend its lead to double figures.
Lee Nailon, who missed five games due to a strained groin, scored 22 points, and P.J. Brown added 16 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans. David Wesley finished with 10 points for the Hornets, who managed just one field goal in the final 8 1/2 minutes.
Rockets 100, Warriors 83
In Houston, Tracy McGrady had 27 points and nine rebounds, and Yao Ming added 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Bob Sura just missed his third career triple-double with 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Houston, and sat out much of the fourth quarter with the Rockets leading by as many as 23.
Houston, which is 27th in the NBA in rebounding, had a season-high 65.
Jason Richardson led the Warriors with 25 points, and Troy Murphy added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Golden State forward Mike Dunleavy missed the game with a bruised lower left leg. Mickael Pietrus replaced him in the starting lineup.
Heat 107, Nuggets 100
In Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 25 points, and Shaquille O'Neal had 20 to help Miami win its seventh straight game.
The defeat was doubly tough for the Nuggets, who lost forward Carmelo Anthony to a sprained left ankle.
The Heat are 18-7, including 13-0 when eclipsing the 100-point plateau. This is their longest winning streak since a 10-game run during the 1997-1998 season.
Anthony finished with 14 points in 29 minutes, leaving late in the third quarter after missing a layup and landing on O'Neal's foot. He rolled his left ankle and remained down on the court for about two minutes before being helped to the locker room. X-rays didn't reveal a break.
Andre Miller scored 24 points for Denver, 3-3 on a seven-game road trip that matches the longest in franchise history.
Wizards 120, Lakers 116, OT
In Los Angeles Gilbert Arenas scored 37 points, Larry Hughes had 31, and Washington beat the Los Angeles Lakers.
Winning for the first time on the Lakers' floor in almost 12 years, the Wizards overcame a 36-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound performance by Kobe Bryant.
It was Bryant's fourth triple-double of the season and 13th of his career.
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