The former Sacramento Kings guard signed with the Celtics on Monday, just about two weeks before training camp.
As was speculated upon late last week, the Boston Celtics came to an agreement with now-former Atlanta Hawks guard Devin Carter on Monday. As noted by NBC Sports Boston, he'll battle for an end of lineup roster spot, or a two-way roster spot where he can be shuttled back and forth to the G-League.
So what are the Celtics getting in Carter? Let's dive a little deeper here.
Still just 24 years old, Carter played his college basketball at South Carolina and Providence. A Florida native, he played his high school basketball in New Hampshire, so he certainly has familiarity with New England.
Listed at 6-foot-2, he was the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of Providence. He's played in 74 games for the Sacramento Kings over the last two years, starting 12 of them. He had been traded to Atlanta earlier this offseason, but they waived him and made him a free agent.
Carter averaged 8.9 ppg a year ago while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor. He actually shot greater than 50 percent from two-point range, but he was just 26.3 percent from 3-point range.
What are you banking on if you're the Celtics?
Well, you're banking on the fact that the Celtics are just a much better player development machine than the Kings are. The Kings have been to the playoffs just once since 2006, meaning they have one appearance in 20 years. They are coming off a season in which they went 22-60 and finished with one of the worst records in the NBA.
The hope, if you're Boston, is that they didn't know how to properly use Carter, or couldn't properly develop him. And that you can.
Boston has found a way to get more out of Derrick White than San Antonio did. They've turned Neemias Queta into a player that Sacramento couldn't, and they've seen internal growth from players like Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheiereman, who have become rotational pieces. So the belief in their own process is justified.
Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) during the first quarter against the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesHow can Carter help?
Well, the assumption is that Carter can be a backup point guard if the team needs him. He's 6-foot-2 and could handle some playing time if Payton Pritchard were to miss time. Furthermore, backup point guard Mike Conley is heading into his 20th NBA season and will clearly need to be monitored from a playing time/health perspective.
Should anything cause him to miss time, Carter can help there too.
If nothing else, he's an interesting piece to have in the organization. First round picks who are 24 years old don't just grow on trees.
