It was announced last Sunday that Sacramento Kings lottery pick Devin Carter would be undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury. The specifics of his shoulder injury weren’t reported, and no definitive timetable was revealed. Since then, Carter has had successful surgery for a torn left labrum. That certainly isn’t a minor injury, and there is now an estimate of how long Carter will be out of action for Sacramento.
Kings Lottery Pick To Miss Quite Some Time To Start Season
Devin Carter’s Injury Will Shelve Him At Least Half A Year
Earlier today, the Kings announced the successful surgery for Carter. They also said that a medical update will be provided in about six months. Six months from now is around the middle of January, and that medical update won’t necessarily mean that he’ll be cleared to play at that time. The middle of January will likely be close to the midway point of the regular season.
The Kings say rookie Devin Carter had left shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. A medical update will be provided in approximately six months. Carter was drafted by the Kings with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 11, 2024
Carter was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Kings in the 2024 NBA Draft. After playing one season collegiately at South Carolina, he transferred to Providence where he played for two years. As a junior last season, the six-foot-three guard averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He shot 47.3% from the field, 37.7% from three-point range, and 74.9% from the foul line. Carter was named the 2023-24 Big East Player of the Year.
The 22-year-old is the son of longtime NBA player Anthony Carter. Anthony played 13 seasons in the league from 1999-00 until 2011-12.
What Now For Sacramento?
It was three years ago that Sacramento selected Davion Mitchell with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mitchell didn’t develop quite like the Kings hoped for, and he received his least playing time last season. Looking for salary cap relief, they traded Mitchell to the Toronto Raptors in late June. Carter was seen as an expected improvement from the guard position.
While the Kings traded Mitchell and now won’t have Carter for a large portion of the season, they still have guard depth. De’Aaron Fox will of course once again be the starting point guard. The team re-signed Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk to a four-year, $79.8 million deal. Kevin Huerter has been the team’s starting shooting guard for much of the past two seasons, but he saw his scoring efficiency dip last season compared to 2022-23. Keon Ellis started 21 games, most coming after Huerter underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Sacramento also signed point guard Jordan McLaughlin to a one-year deal.
Still, the news is disappointing for the Kings and Carter. Carter was expected to be one of the team’s better defenders from the get-go, and his offense improved each year he was in college.
