Vince Carter received assurance last month from the Dallas Mavericks that he wouldn’t be traded.

Carter scored a season-high 29 points in an overtime loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 19.

After that game, Rick Carlisle bristled at a question about rising demand for the 14-year veteran.

“A couple days later he pulled me aside and said all the trade rumors, because I didn’t know much about it, he said it’s not going to happen,” Carter said.

“I’m happy where I am. I feel like my role here is needed,” Carter continued. “It’s a perfect position as a mentor, as a player, as a spark. I’m OK with that. I feel like for me, if they need me to start I’ll do it. If they need me to come off the bench, I’ll do it. I’m still going to play my same game and be effective. I’m a team guy and I want to see our team have success.”

Carter said that chasing a title at this stage in his career is not his top priority.

“If it [a trade] happens, it happens, I mean it’s nothing you can control, but I leave that for them [the Mavs' front office],” Carter said. “And they know, I’ve talked to them, they know, I’ve said to them before, I’m satisfied here. They’ve accepted me with open arms, given me an opportunity to be who I am, do what I do and kind of help our team, our players grow while being the player I am.”