Report: Raptors no longer interested in potential Carter reunion this season

The Toronto Raptors have an open roster spot, and used the trade deadline to give themselves a bit of extra financial wiggle room beneath the luxury-tax threshold, so it seems like they're preparing to make a play on the buyout market.

While there is an element of fan fiction and wish fulfillment to the speculation, a reunion with potential buyout candidate Vince Carter, the franchise's prodigal son, is something the Raptors were reportedly interested in as recently as two weeks ago. That no longer appears to be the case.

The Raptors are now resistant to trying to sign Carter even if he does get bought out by the Sacramento Kings, team sources told TSN's Josh Lewenberg.

According to Lewenberg, the Raptors made Carter a contract offer last summer, and would be open to a reunion of some kind in the future, but have decided that "now is not the right time," as they'd prefer to spotlight the team they have now - which is on pace to win a franchise-record 59 games - rather than make the rest of this season a nostalgia-laden sideshow.

Carter, who played the first six-plus seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Toronto, is averaging five points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on .385/.353/.696 shooting with the Kings this season. He'll be a free agent again this coming summer.