Report: Kings hope Carter stays, but would work with him on buyout

The Sacramento Kings are expected to grant Joe Johnson a buyout, but are hoping veteran Vince Carter stays for the rest of the season, sources told the New York Times' Marc Stein.

The team would work with Carter on a buyout, however, if a "tempting" landing spot emerged, Stein reports.

While Carter isn't a highly sought-after buyout candidate compared to others, the Toronto Raptors would reportedly consider bringing back the franchise legend if he accepts a buyout from the Kings.

When Carter visited Toronto with the Kings in December, he said that one or way another he expects to have some sort of association with the Raptors before he retires.

"It'll happen I'm sure," Carter said. "Somehow, whether it's one day or something, it'll happen. It's supposed to happen I think. I can say that now."

That may mean a one-day contract before retirement. The 41-year-old Carter also said he's not necessarily a ring-chaser.

"I still want to get on the floor," he said in December. "It’s not guaranteed on some of those elite teams, who's already established and I’m just not ready for that. When I step on the floor I just want to help my team and make those guys better."

On Friday, Kings general manager Vlade Divac voiced support for Carter staying in the California capital. "I'm very happy with what Vince means to these young guys," he said, according to NBC's James Ham.

Carter has seamlessly evolved from an elite - although oft-injured - superstar in the early 2000s to a content role player today, and appears to be happy as a veteran presence for the young, struggling Kings. The idea of having him end his career in Toronto, however, is a tantalizing vision for many, despite the polarizing manner in which his Raptors tenure ended in 2004.