Kings select Devin Carter with No. 13 overall pick in NBA Draft

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With the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings selected guard Devin Carter out of Providence University Wednesday evening. 

After an intense early draft that had rumors of the Kings negotiating with both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards to potentially trade the No. 13 overall selection, Sacramento chose one of the most NBA ready players in the draft. 

“Devin Carter just checks all the boxes,” general manager Monte McNair told media members in Sacramento. “If you watched the playoffs this year, there were a lot of Devin Carters out there.”

Rangy and athletic, Carter stands 6-foot-2.25 with a 6-foot-8.75 wingspan. He posted a 42-inch max vertical at the combine and has all of the tools to be an excellent defender at the NBA level. He has a crazy motor and isn’t afraid to dive on the floor for a loose ball.

It was some of these traits that likely convinced the Kings’ brass to select the 22-year-old guard out of Providence. You can’t have enough defenders and the Kings could definitely use a glue guy to help tie this whole thing together. 

“Deep down in my gut, that’s the team that I felt was going to pick me,” Carter told local media members in Sacramento.

According to Carter, he had a good workout with the team that left him with a strong impression and a hope that the Kings would be the franchise that called his name on draft night. He spoke on the authenticity of his experience in Sacramento and how pleasant his experience was during a rigorous pre-draft process. 

Despite plenty of competition on the roster, Carter brings something different to the table.

“I’m a two-way player, I have a lot of versatility to my game,” Carter said. “[I’m] someone who can switch 1-thru-4, just understands the concept of defense and what our game plan is.” 

During his junior season at Providence, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and a block per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three. These numbers helped him earn Big East Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches, as well as All-Big East First Team honors. 

Why Carter?

At 22 years old, Carter is an older prospect. This isn’t unique for a Kings draft selection under this regime. General manager Monte McNair and assistant GM Wes Wilcox like to draft what they know, not what they can predict. They also like to draft players who can step on the court and play right away.

Carter has some issues that can’t be solved, but he isn’t the first combo guard to be selected into the league. He has the length and physicality the Kings are looking for as a point of attack defender. He fights through screens and uses his +7.5 inch height-to-wingspan ratio to not only steal the ball, but also come away with blocks.

In a league that loves a good copycat, Carter’s ability to rebound the ball is reminiscent of Josh Hart, who measured in at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8.5 wingspan during the combine. His defensive pressure and intensity are also similar to Marcus Smart, who measured in at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-9.25 wingspan at the combine. Neither of these players have struggled with their lack of elite height at the NBA level. 

In his junior season at Providence, he increased his volume (3.5 to 6.8) and percentage (29.9 to 37.7 percent) from 3-point range, which helped push him into the lottery. He is one of the better two-way players in this year’s draft, although there should be some concern about his ability to repeat his 3-point percentage at the NBA level when the length and athleticism of the players increases dramatically.

Early in his career Carter will likely be asked to play defense, hit open threes and watch late in games when De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk play the bulk of the closing minutes. But with both Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte entering the final years of their contracts and Kevin Huerter a potential trade chip, the Kings could be in need of a long term fit in the backcourt. 

Why this pick is leading to confusion

Carter is undersized for a starting shooting guard and doesn’t currently have the elite ball handling skills required to act as a primary initiator on the offensive end. He makes up for his shortcomings with hustle and tenacity, but the Kings already have a lack of size in the backcourt and this doesn’t help matters.

There should be some concern about Carter’s shooting numbers that took a huge spike in year three. This isn’t out of the norm for a player to improve as he ages at the college level, but a nearly eight percent spike could be difficult to repeat. One positive sign is that as Carter’s 3-point percentage has climbed, so have his free throw numbers. Clearly he put in work on his shooting.

While the Kings have players nearing the end of their contracts, the team has way too many guards as of June 26. Can McNair find a new home for Mitchell or Duarte or Huerter? Where do Keon Ellis or Colby Jones fit into this puzzle? 

“We understand the importance of roster balance, not just across positions, but skill sets,” McNair told reporters in Sacramento. “We’re at the beginning of the offseason where we’ll be able to continue to shape the roster.”

I would love to tell you that all of this will work itself out, but in all honesty, the team could easily go into camp with a completely unbalanced roster. Instead of too many centers, the Kings have too many guards. They also haven’t addressed their biggest need, which is size, length and athleticism at the wing. 

Rumors of potential trades for Kyle Kuzma or Cam Johnson leading up to the moment the Kings made their selection won’t help this conversation. Doors might still be open for one of these players to make their way to Sacramento, but the team’s best asset was the 13th pick and that ship has now sailed. 

Six degrees of Sacramento

The son of former NBA player turned assistant coach Anthony Carter, Devin plays the game like a coach’s son. The elder Carter coached last season on Taylor Jenkins’ staff in Memphis, carrying a dual role of assistant coach and director of player development. He also coached on George Karl’s staff in Sacramento during the 2015-16 season.

What’s next

Day 2 of the NBA draft kicks off Thursday at 1 PM PST. It’s another opportunity for the Kings to add talent to the roster through the second round of the draft. Armed with the No. 45 overall pick, McNair and his staff might be searching for another diamond in the rough, even if that player might be destined for one of the team’s open two-way contracts.

Following Thursday’s festivities, the offseason hits full speed beginning on Sunday when teams can officially negotiate with free agents. June 30 is just the kickoff to the madness, although free agents can’t officially sign until July 6.