“I played with Jae Crowder in [Sacramento], so I was like you know what? Shoutout Jae.”
Devin Carter AP Photo/Jenny Kane
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Devin Carter played college and high school basketball in New England, but he wasn’t aware of how few options he would have choosing a jersey number for the Celtics.
The former Providence College standout, who is on the training camp roster while playing on an Exhibit 10 contract, learned firsthand what it’s like choosing a jersey number for the team that has the most retired jersey numbers in the NBA.
Carter chose number 99 in honor of Jae Crowder, who spent the final year of his NBA career in Sacramento when Carter was a rookie.
“So, I was like, man I don’t even know what number [to pick], and they were like, ‘You probably have to pick something over 37,’” Carter said. “I’m like 37? That’s like a lineman number. I play basketball and I’m not seven foot, so I was like I don’t know. But I played with Jae Crowder in [Sacramento], so I was like you know what? Shoutout Jae. I thought of Jae. I said shoutout Jae, that’s my dog, man.”
The Kings picked Carter No. 13 overall in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. Sacramento traded the 6-foot-2, 188-pound point guard to the Hawks this past June. The Hawks waived Carter earlier this month.
Carter averaged 8.9 points and 2.7 assists against 1.4 turnovers last year. He has yet to find a consistent shooting stroke, shooting 40.1 percent from the field, 27.4 percent from 3-point range, and 67.4 percent from the free throw line for his career.
His athleticism and defensive ability made him a two-way threat in college. His dad, Anthony Carter, played more than a decade in the NBA.
“He’s obviously got good athleticism and length, and his ability to compete on offense with the way that he plays,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said. “But also the way that he plays on defense with the way that he can get up into people can really be a separator as he navigates the next step of his career.”
“It’s not easy. There are a lot of people vying for these spots in the NBA and it is a hard league. There’s not a lot of difference between guys that are on training camp contracts, that are on two-ways, that are on rosters. So being able to find those things and lean into him is critical for him and anyone else that’s in that position.”
While there aren’t many single-digit numbers left for Celtics players, Ron Harper Jr. managed to snag one. He gave Paul George No. 13 and switched to No. 8, which was most recently worn by John Tonje.
“Me and PG never talked about it,” Harper Jr. said. “Our agents were like the middle men. I guess they’re friends a little bit. When the trade went down, my agent called me telling me that PG wanted No. 13 back so we had some good conversation, good dialogue there, and both parties were able to come to a mutual agreement that benefitted us both so we’re both really happy with how that went down.”
Khari A. ThompsonSports Reporter
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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