<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Carter's value took another significant hit during a series in which he averaged 19.7 points on 35 percent shooting. Regardless, he has three options: He can stay with the Nets and be paid $16.3 million next season and put off free agency for a year; he can negotiate an extension with the Nets, who aren't interested in the three-year, $60 million his agent is requesting; or he can opt-out on July 1 and play the market. Thorn wants to keep him. But he is probably willing to go no higher than $45 million for three years, no matter how much owner Bruce Ratner wants Carter to return. "The market sets the value," Thorn said. "Don't forget, he can re-up at a high number, too. But if you become a free agent, you know something's out there, a ballpark (figure) of what you want to get. We'll see what they can get. All it takes is one team. I don't have any surmise as to what might happen." The only team with salary-cap space that has interest in Carter is Orlando, even though GM Otis Smith has called Carter "fool's gold" -- not exactly a shining endorsement. It is unclear, however, whether Smith is calling the shots for the NBA's fourth-worst offensive team, which must do something. As of now, the Magic has only $8 million in cap room, but if it wants to clear additional space to give Carter a big contract -- by moving out Tony Battie and/or Keyon Dooling, perhaps -- Carter could return to his hometown team. Charlotte? It is well established that the Bobcats' major domo, Michael Jordan, is not a Carter fan -- Carter himself has alluded to this on a number of occasions. And it is far more likely Jordan will go after Rashard Lewis or Chauncey Billups. Two other teams have cap space, but for Carter, they are dead ends: Milwaukee already has an All-Star 2, Michael Redd; and Memphis has two wing players it likes a great deal (Rudy Gay, Mike Miller), and doesn't want to invest in another. </div> Source
