Sacramento Kings’ guard Devin Carter, the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is set to undergo surgery on his left shoulder later this month. This news, reported by Shams Charania, means Carter will miss the Summer League and could potentially be sidelined for the start of the upcoming NBA season.
Carter’s journey began at South Carolina before he transferred to Providence after his freshman year. At Providence, he excelled, earning the Big East Player of the Year title last season with impressive averages of 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 37.7% from beyond the arc.
On draft night, CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein praised the Kings’ selection of Carter, awarding them an “A” grade and highlighting Carter’s elite competitiveness and immediate potential impact. Finkelstein remarked:
“This is a straight A. Carter was one of my three favorite prospects in this class relative to expectations. He’s an elite competitor going to a team where he can help right away. You don’t bet against elite competitors. He stepped up big-time when Bryce Hopkins went down. He has an NBA pedigree, and he is ready to go.”
Carter’s NBA lineage includes his father, Anthony Carter, who enjoyed a 13-season career with six different teams and had a notable stint with the Toronto Raptors alongside DeMar DeRozan, the Kings’ recent addition. Anthony Carter is perhaps best known for a 2003 incident where a missed player option by his agent led to the Miami Heat using the resulting cap space to sign Lamar Odom, eventually facilitating the trade that brought Shaquille O’Neal to Miami and helped secure the Heat’s 2006 championship.
At 6-foot-3, Devin Carter is more of a scorer than a traditional point guard, but his defensive prowess, tenacious playing style, and 3-point shooting make him an intriguing prospect. Despite the setback, he is expected to recover fully and not miss a significant portion of his rookie season. Nonetheless, missing Summer League and training camp will impact his early development and preparation for the NBA.
Whenever Carter returns, he is anticipated to contribute meaningful minutes to a Kings team that lacks strong perimeter defenders. This situation, while unfortunate, sets the stage for Carter to showcase his resilience and determination upon his return.
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