Hawks News: Vinsanity Returning For One More Flight In Atlanta

Vince Carter may be missing an NBA title but he will still go down the record books as the only player, for now, to play the most seasons in the league. This is after the 42-year-old agreed to return to the Atlanta Hawks for the 2019-20 wars.

The development was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN citing league sources. Once made official, Carter will break his deadlock with retired NBA stars that include Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish and Kevin Willis. Aside from that, Vinsanity could also break another record if he plays past January 26. This would make him the first 43-year-old player to play in the NBA since Willis did the trick back in 2007.

With the Hawks trying to rebuild around young players such as Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, De'Andre Hunter and Cameron Reddish, Carter is expected to do more than try to contribute on the floor. The eight-time NBA All-Star will continue to mentor the young players in the mix and aid head coach Lloyd Pierce in whipping them up to competitive form.

When on the floor, Carter is still expected to produce his fair share of scoring for the Hawks. Last season, the 6-foot-6 swingman chipped in 7.4 points in 17 minutes of action. Depending on how he would be utilized, he is expected to deliver the same kind of numbers for Atlanta this coming season.

On the question if this would be his final hurrah, it is a question only Carter can answer. Last month, the 5th overall pick of the 1998 NBA Draft told ESPN that he feels he has one more run in him. Whether that goes beyond the coming NBA season remains to be seen although exposure and his health are expected to be the main factors.

Another question worth considering is whether Carter will finish the season with the Hawks. If he performs accordingly, there may be no reason for Atlanta to place him on the block. As mentioned in a previous post, a team that could give the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year a fitting farewell would be the first team he played for - the Toronto Raptors. So far, there have been no indications that the reigning NBA champions are interested although that could all change once the 2019-20 NBA season kicks off.