All-Star Vince Carter was traded by the Toronto Raptors to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and a pair of first-round draft picks Friday.

Carter, on the injured list with a strained left Achilles’ tendon, was at the Raptors’ morning shootaround, but did not accompany the team to Conseco Fieldhouse for its game against the Pacers.

“Anytime you lose a guy like Vince, it’s a big blow,” Toronto forward Donyell Marshall said. “He was to Canada what Michael Jordan was to the Bulls.”

“Obviously they felt that was the best deal on the table for us,” said Marshall, who spoke to Carter at his hotel room. “We’re going to miss Vince as a player and as a person. We wish him the best.”

Carter is headed to a Nets team that sorely missed the athleticism it lost when Kenyon Martin left for Denver in the offseason. With Jason Kidd healthy again and Richard Jefferson on one wing, New Jersey has a chance to return to the up-tempo style that made it one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

“We are very excited to add a player of Vince’s caliber to the Nets roster,” Nets president Rod Thorn said. “He is a proven All-Star who brings a unique dynamic to any team of which he is a member.

“Vince’s ability to run the floor fits in very well with our desired style of play, and his ability to create his own shot will elevate the productivity of our halfcourt offense.”