Kings veteran Vince Carter will return next season, but retirement isn't too far off

Gabe Fernandez

Kings veteran Vince Carter will return next season, but retirement isn't too far off image

"Vinsanity" still has some gas left in the tank.

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Vince Carter told The Undefeated that he plans on returning for a 21st NBA season and that he's "90 percent sure" it will be his last.

“I plan on coming back next season. I plan on coming back one more season. I’m almost 90 percent sure that’s it after next season.

“You kind of go through the season, especially when the end is near and you say, ‘Hey, how do I feel?’ […]

“Is Sacramento a possibility? Or how am I looking at free agency. I don’t know. I stay in my lane.

“I know how it will work and I know teams are going to do what they do, go through the draft, make their trades and cuts and whatnot. Then it’s my time.”

Carter signed a one-year, $8 million contract this past offseason with the Kings in the hopes that he would provide a veteran presence for the team's litany of young guys.

His days of high-flying dunks are well behind him, but he still manages to show flashes of his old self — even at 41 years old.

In 57 games for Sacramento, Carter has averaged 5.3 points on 39.6 percent shooting in 17.6 minutes. 

Even if he doesn't have the same number of suitors he would have had a few years ago, the legacy of "Vinsanity" surely carries enough weight to catch the attention of some team.

Gabe Fernandez