As the season approaches, more and more sources speculate that Devin Carter might be on his way out of Sacramento.
This is incredibly disappointing, as the Carter pick was praised as a great value on draft night. He was seen as a gap-filler guard in the Derrick White mold. Not a typical star, but a useful addition to the backcourt who would contribute to winning right away.
However, things have not gone as planned. Carter immediately underwent shoulder surgery after the draft, which sidelined him for the first 34 games of last season. Once he returned, it took time to regain his usual conditioning level and acclimate to the professional game.
Carter finished his rookie season playing in just 36 games, averaging 3.8/2.1/1.1 on 37/29.5/59.1 splits. He played more than 20 minutes in just five of his 36 appearances, and scored in double figures just three times. If these numbers do not sound inspiring, it is because they are not. This was as bad as the season could have gone for Carter.
Devin Carter had himself a day! The @SacramentoKings draftee recorded a career-high in scoring and is now averaging 27.25 PPG and 10 RPG during the regular season. pic.twitter.com/gSXML490u4
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 26, 2025
Parting with a lottery pick this soon is rare, but trading former first-round picks more generally is somewhat more common. For some context, let’s review some recent early-career trades and what the teams received in return for parting with their prospects.
Most recently, Cam Whitmore was traded to the Washington Wizards this summer, two seasons after being drafted. The former 20th overall pick was part of a larger CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole trade between New Orleans and Washington after not carving out a consistent role in Houston. The Rockets received two second-round picks and Mojave King in exchange for Whitmore.
Last season, A.J. Johnson was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks just several months into his rookie season after being selected 23rd overall in 2024. He was a key piece of the package headlined by Khris Middleton that landed (among other things) Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards.
The 2024-25 trade deadline also saw Dalton Knecht almost get traded to the Charlotte Hornets just months into his rookie season, along with a 2031 first-round pick, 2030 swap rights, and Cam Reddish, for center Mark Williams. This was ultimately rescinded after Williams failed a physical, but it can be used as a data point since both teams initially accepted these terms.
The trade to send Mark Williams to the Lakers and Dalton Knecht to the Hornets has been rescinded, Lakers say. pic.twitter.com/1vTVmEiSQH
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 9, 2025
Dyson Daniels to Atlanta represents a high-stakes trade. Daniels was traded after two full seasons as the headliner in a package that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. Daniels has blossomed into an All-Defensive level player in Atlanta and was just extended, which shows the risk of jumping ship on a prospect too early in their career. The allure of a win-now move can be tempting, but this trade has not worked out for New Orleans, and they added picks on top of Daniels to make this happen.
The 2023-24 deadline might have the closest comparison to Sacramento’s situation with Carter. Ochai Agbaji, another older, late lottery prospect, was traded from Utah to Toronto. The former 14th overall pick was just 1.5 seasons into his career, and played just 2,200 minutes with the Jazz before the trade (for comparison, Carter has played just 396 minutes for the Kings).
Utah received Kira Lewis Jr. and Otto Porter, both of whom were eventually waived. They also received the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which they used on point guard Isaiah Collier.
Former King Chris Duarte falls into this category as well. Sacramento acquired Duarte in the 2023 offseason after two seasons with Indiana in exchange for two future second-round picks. Duarte had a solid first season in Indiana, but fell out of the rotation in year two when the Pacers drafted Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard. So, the Kings took a flier on the former 13th overall pick for a very low price. It did not work out, but it was a worthwhile move on the margins.
This is a long way of saying there are many ways a potential Devin Carter trade could go. There is certainly a chance other teams value him more than Sacramento’s new front office does. Despite the potentially rosier outlook from other teams, it may end up being a Duarte situation where this is a lost season and Sacramento receives pennies on the dollar for a player pushed to the fringes of their roster.
Apr 16, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
If that is the case, Sacramento will be looking at some late first or a combination of second-round picks, like what Duarte or Agbaji returned in their respective trades. If that is all the Kings will get in terms of a pick package, they should look to swap Carter out for another young player – ideally one that addresses the glaring lack of size on the wing.
We have tossed some names out that could make sense. Bleacher Report floated a Carter-for-Peyton Watson swap several months ago, which is as good a return as we could realistically ask for, considering Sacramento has not been afraid of leaking their dissatisfaction with the backup point guard spot in camp before signing Russell Westbrook.
Even though Carter was not the current regime’s pick, it feels irresponsible to part ways with a prospect the league was so high on just 16 months ago, when that prospect has yet to play 40 NBA games. Based on recent reports and the offseason signings, though, that seems like the likely outcome. Hopefully, Sacramento can break its logjam and rebalance the roster.