Bosh: Carter wanted Raptors to trade 2003 pick

Chris Bosh told Zach Lowe that Vince Carter wanted the Raptors to trade their 2003 draft pick for a veteran.

If Vince Carter had his way, the Toronto Raptors likely never world have drafted Chris Bosh in 2003.

Speaking on the Zach Lowe podcast, Bosh said he knew Carter wanted the Raptors to trade the No. 4 pick heading into the 2003 NBA draft.

"It was known he wanted to trade the pick before I got there because they wanted to get right back on to where they were two years before that and start competing in the playoffs again," Bosh said.

Looking back at the reporting from 2003, it seems as though Raptors then-general manager Glen Grunwald seriously considered moving the pick with no clear-cut choice at No. 4.

Houston's Eddie Griffin, Dallas' Raef LaFrentz, and Memphis' Stromile Swift were all possible trade candidates for the Raptors, according to a Toronto Star article from Doug Smith on June 24, 2003.

Toronto Star

A day later, when Grunwald went to New York to attend a draft workout, The Globe and Mail's Robert MacLeod mentioned a pair of possible trades including one with the Knicks for Latrell Sprewell and the No. 9 pick, and one with Chicago for Donyell Marshall and the No. 7 pick.

The Globe and Mail

Ultimately, the Raptors held on to the pick and selected Bosh who likely turned out better than anyone Grunwald could have traded for.

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- Aaron Rose covers the Toronto Raptors and Canadian basketball for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @aaronbenrose or on Facebook @AllRaptors.