Multiple reports have come out now that the Kings are sending Devin Carter and a 2033 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. No return has been mentioned for Sacramento and right now this looks like a pure salary dump move as the Kings look to get below the luxury tax and first apron. This move along with an expected waiving and stretching of DeMar DeRozan will bring the Kings well below the tax line, whereas now they are over. This should also give the team more room to operate in potentially re-signing free agents Precious Achiuwa and possibly Russell Westbrook without going back over the tax.
This is an ignominious end for the former lottery pick’s tenure in Sacramento, and an indictment on both the past and current regime. Carter was selected with the 13th pick in the 2024 NBA draft but missed a big chunk of his rookie season as he recovered from shoulder surgery during the offseason. He came into camp healthy this season but failed to really carve out a role and played in just 38 games for the team, averaging 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals in just 18.4 minutes per game. Carter was often tasked with playing out of position at Point Guard instead of his more natural position of shooting guard, and also had to deal with a glut of guards on the roster.
Carter likely wasn’t a part of this team’s future but dumping him simply in order to save some money has now cost the Kings yet another asset, even if it’s just a second round pick 7 years in the future. The Kings are now so bereft of second round picks they only have one more next season and then none until 2034. That might not sound like a big deal, but second round picks are a valuable commodity when trying to add pieces to your team. Instead of using them to gain talent (like we’ve seen this summer with seconds being used to acquire valuable role players like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Stewart), the Kings have been using them to get rid of mistakes. That’s not a winning formula.
I don’t envy Scott Perry’s job in trying to clean up this roster after years of mismanagement, but outside of his draft classes, I’ve yet to be impressed with his efforts in the trade or free agency market. The offseason is still young, but if history has taught us Kings fans anything, it’s that optimism is often misplaced where this team is involved.
Best of luck in Atlanta, Devin.