Will Vince Carter ever retire? Right now, it looks like the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer may keep playing until he’s a senior citizen.Last season, Carter averaged just 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.7 minutes over 58 games for the young and rebuilding Sacramento Kings.Mostly serving as a mentor and leader to Sacramento’s young core, it was obvious that Carter lacked the bounce that he was once known for, but he also proved that he could still hang with his opponents despite his advanced age. As a result, he won’t be back with the Kings in the upcoming season, but he will have a job.Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Atlanta Hawks signed the eight-time All-Star to a one-year deal.

According to Wojnarowski, the deal for the league’s oldest player is worth $2.4 million. It will be Carter’s 21st NBA season and eighth different team. He will enter the season having scored 24,868 points. That ranks 22nd in the history of the league and will most likely cement his place in the Hall of Fame after he retires (if he ever decides to walk away). 

A veteran voice

Incredibly, 228 different NBA players have played a game as Carter’s teammate. Therefore, he possesses a lot of wisdom that he can clearly pass down to inexperienced youngsters.

Here’s another wild fact: Carter was drafted almost three months before Hawks rookie Trae Young was born.

“Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk wanted Carter's influence around a young, rebuilding roster. Atlanta selected three players, including guard Trae Young, in the first-round of the 2018 NBA draft, and 2017 first-round pick John Collins also is a key part of the franchise's future. Carter was drafted on June 24, 1998, nearly three months before Young was born -- on Sept. 19, 1998,” Wojnarowski pointed out.

Oddly enough, Carter will now find himself in nearly an identical situation that he was in last season. With a very young and raw core, he will be relied on to guide the rookies and second-year players during games, on the practice court and in the weight room.

While he will most likely not have a defined in-game role to start the season, he could presumably see minutes in the mid-teens, just like he did in Sacramento. That certainly depends on the organization’s developmental strategy for their young players, but Carter proved that he could eat up minutes last year.

Although he's a shell of the player that he once was, it's a great story to see the legend continue his career.