Devin Carter’s rookie preview is another that’s impacted by injury. Carter underwent surgery in July that kept him out of summer league play and likely won’t see him return until January at the earliest. In a weaker 2024 NBA draft, Carter was seen as a more ready-to-go rookie prospect. Let’s take a look at Carter’s rookie preview for the upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Devin Carter
Prospect Profile
Carter was the 94th overall player in the class of 2021 coming out of high school. He signed with the South Carolina Gamecocks before transferring to Providence after his freshman season. He played two full seasons with the Friars, earning Big East Player of the Year as a junior. Carter would then go on to declare for the draft, where he was widely regarded as a late lottery pick.
Carter’s rookie preview starts on defense. He hopes to be a taller version of Pelicans’ fiery, defensive point guard Jose Alvarado. His play is based on physicality and high energy. Carter stands at six-foot-three and tries to keep constant pressure as an on-ball defender. He’s also adept as a team defender and chasing through screens for steals. This projected defensive impact was also helped even further after the NBA combine. Carter tied for the highest max vertical at 42 inches, posted the fastest sprint at 2.87, and had the third-fastest lane agility time at 10.63. It was an impressive showing, and the Kings clearly valued his perceived NBA-ready ability.
Carter has been seen as streaky on offense up to this point, but he’s had big scoring outings that give confidence. He finished the year shooting an impressive 37.7 percent from three on 6.8 attempts per game. He could be a solid piece at the guard spot for nearly any team.
Team Fit
If they kept their draft pick, the Kings were long thought to take a more NBA-ready prospect. Carter’s selection made even more sense after the trading of backup point guard Davion Mitchell. The Kings are hoping to return to deep playoff contention in the West, and they have a solid roster. One of the bigger signings in free agency, the Kings landed star forward DeMar DeRozan to bolster their lineup. He will pair up with an already productive star combo in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also have a plethora of quality role players. Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, Trey Lyles, and Keon Ellis all project to have a significant impact.
Carter was likely slotted in to bolster this role-player depth and provide a spark off the bench. His injury will possibly keep him out for half the season though. It will be interesting to see if he can crack the rotation upon his return to play. With him being out for so long, it gives way to veteran signings and young players alike in Jordan McLaughlin and Colby Jones respectively.
Predictions
If it weren’t for his torn labrum and missing significant time, I really liked Carter as a first-team All-Rookie candidate. His role on a playoff-contending team is similar to other rookies in class, and he plays with an energy that garners attention. With him being out for so long though, he won’t come back until the Kings are playing games that may have playoff significance. This may lead coach Mike Brown to be more reserved in playing a rookie who hasn’t seen any NBA action.
This may pretty much take the major accolades off the table for Carter’s rookie preview. In the long-term though, I think Carter will be a great rotational guard for the Kings, and fits their goals for the coming years perfectly.
