The pick is in.
After weeks of speculation, there was no trade, there was no Ron Holland (who went 5th) or Zach Edey (9th), but instead Providence guard Devin Carter, a player known for his intensity and effort on defense. Carter is the son of former NBA veteran Anthony Carter and played his last two seasons at Providence where he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks last season in 35.3 minutes per game. He shot 47.3% from the field and 37.7% from three and won the 2023-24 Big East Player of the Year.
Kings fans may be wondering about the fit of drafting yet another guard, especially one who measured out at just over 6’2, but Carter’s wingspan measures at nearly 6’9, making him play far bigger than his size (just check out those rebounding numbers). Carter also set impressive athleticism marks at the NBA Combine with a 42″ vertical and a combine record 2.87 three-quarter court sprint. The Kings ended up passing on other prospects like Dalton Knecht (17th), Tristan da Silva (18th), and DaRon Holmes (currently undrafted as of the time of this post with the Raptors on the clock at 19) that Kings fans may have thought fit better, but only time will truly tell. We’ll get our first proper look at Carter likely in a couple weeks at the California Classic. For more on Carter, check out our Draft Prospect discussion.
It still remains to be seen how the Kings roster will shape out. While the Kings weren’t able to find any takers for the 13th pick, that doesn’t mean they are done shaping the roster. It seems unlikely that the Kings will be content to stand pat, and something will have to be done about the glut of guards the Kings have, especially with the Kings still needing size in the frontcourt. Moves are still out there to be made, and the addition of Carter might change the calculus for the Kings in potentially including guys like Davion Mitchell, Colby Jones or (gulp) Keon Ellis in potential trades.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is still ongoing, and the second round will take place tomorrow. We’ll be sure to provide any updates on further trades, picks or other Kings related news.
But for now, welcome to Sacramento, Devin Carter!
