Devin Carter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Kings Trade Talks, C. Johson, Thomas, Sharpe, K. Johnson

January 8th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordi Fernandez‘s experience in Sacramento makes him a valuable resource for Nets general manager Sean Marks as he engages in trade talks with the Kings, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only piece. While the topics might include the future availability of De’Aaron Fox, the more immediate concern is Sacramento’s interest in Cameron Johnson, Lewis adds. The Post reported last summer that the Kings topped the list of teams hoping to acquire Johnson, and his trade value has only increased in the midst of a career-best season.

Brooklyn is believed to be asking for the equivalent of two first-round picks in exchange for Johnson. Lewis suggests that Sacramento could meet that price by offering rookie guard Devin Carter, along with a future first-rounder and other players to match salaries. That’s where input could be valuable from Fernandez, who spent two years as an assistant with the Kings before the Nets hired him as their head coach during the offseason, along with assistant coaches Deividas Dulkys and Dutch Gaitley, who also left Sacramento for Brooklyn.

“I look at the coaching staff and the front office — that relationship and that dynamic — as a partnership,” Marks said. “It’s not something where I’m telling you what to do and you go and do it, or vice versa. This is something that I should rely on them, because at the end of the day their experiences and their interactions with players — whether it’s from other teams or just being on the court — they’re up close. I’m not in the foxhole down on the court with them.

“So it would behoove me to talk to them and rely on their input. And I think, one, it’s being honest right off the get-go at the start of the season. And even before that when Jordi signed up. I mean, Jordi and I had heart-to-hearts of ‘hey, look, we’re going to build this and this is how we’re going to build it. We want to be a partnership together on this.’ So he’s been nothing but fantastic in that realm.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

In the same story, Cam Thomas talks to Lewis about the frustration of dealing with another strain of his left hamstring two games after returning from the first one. Thomas is guaranteed another long absence, as he won’t be reevaluated until January 19 when the Nets return from an upcoming six-game road trip. “Me dealing with what I’m dealing with is tough,” he said. “But we’ve still got enough guys in here to play; we’ve got to go out there and keep playing. I’m gonna keep fighting through, keep fighting through it. I’m going to just keep going.”
Day’Ron Sharpe posted season highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds in 22 minutes Monday night, Lewis states in a separate story. Sharpe, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 boards in his last four games while shooting 53.3% from the field. “I feel like I still got some room to go. I just feel like this is the start of it,” he said. “About three games ago, I feel like I really was starting to feel like myself again. Just coming back from the injury and not playing for months, I’m just still trying to figure my way out. And I feel like this is the start of it.”
It’s no secret that the Nets are tearing down their roster in hopes of landing a high lottery pick, but the players and coaches have offered a consistent public message throughout the process, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post (subscription-only). “I wouldn’t say it’s hard. We all understand it’s part of the business, and that this is what we signed up for on Day 1,” said Keon Johnson, one of several young players getting increased minutes during the makeover. “But one thing we can control is what’s in front of us. Night in and night out, we don’t know who is going to be laced up. We don’t know who is going to be playing, but it’s just a better opportunity for everybody to be prepared and hope that your number is called.”

Kings Notes: DeRozan, Carter, Monk, Fox

January 6th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Brown‘s firing was surprising and controversial, but the Kings are looking like a different team since Doug Christie took over as head coach, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Playing Sunday without De’Aaron Fox, they won by 30 points at Golden State as the players displayed a renewed enthusiasm for the game.

“I would say it’s that more than anything, just going out there and playing freely with joy and for one another,” DeMar DeRozan responded when asked to explain the change. DeRozan clarified that he didn’t mean to imply there wasn’t freedom and joy with Brown in charge, but the team has responded to the challenge of an in-season coaching shakeup.

“Whenever you’re going through any type of ups and downs, when the downs come, everything just feels extremely bad,” he added. “Everything is just heightened to another level. I think with so much going on, it kind of hit the fan with having a coaching change in the middle of the season. So much was going on that we could just sit there and kind of sob in our sorrows and let things get worse. I think we just pulled together and pulled ourselves out of that more so than anything.”

Sacramento lost its first game after Christie took over, but has since won four in a row against pretty good competition, defeating the Mavericks, Sixers, Grizzlies and Warriors. One difference has been the addition of first-round pick Devin Carter, who posted 13 points and seven rebounds Sunday in his second game since returning from offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The positive energy he and Christie have provided seems to have changed the team’s outlook.

“I think it’s contagious,” Carter said. “Once one person sees somebody else doing it, then the next person, the next person, and it just trickles down the line, so I just think it’s contagious. Obviously, we want to keep on winning. Wins are contagious. Good vibes in the locker room, good vibes in practice, and just go from there.”

There’s more on the Kings:

Malik Monk took on a larger role Sunday with Fox sidelined, finishing with 26 points, 12 assists and four steals, Anderson adds. Christie said during his time as an assistant, he often encouraged Monk to be more fearless in his approach to the game. “Before I was sitting in this seat, we’ve had multiple conversations just about everything, and I’ve always told him, ‘Believe in yourself. I believe in you. You are a tremendous, fantastic player, and play through your mistakes.’” Christie said. “… He is just about as free as I’ve ever seen him. We’ll live with some of the things he does and his greatness will continue to shine because the kid is great.”
Carter had a memorable NBA debut, with his father, former NBA player Anthony Carter, on the opponent’s bench as a Grizzlies assistant coach, Anderson states in a separate story. “It’s just a blessing, especially to play my first NBA game in front of him,” Devin Carter told reporters before the game. “It’s something you dream of as a kid, and the moment is here, so I’m not going to shy away from the moment.”
The Kings haven’t determined if Fox will be available for Monday’s game against Miami, Anderson notes in another piece. He was ruled out Sunday with a right glute contusion after being undercut on a dunk attempt late in Friday’s contest.

Stein’s Latest: Johnson, Vucevic, Poeltl, Brown, Olynyk, Ball

January 5th, 2025 at 9:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have already dealt Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Could forward Cameron Johnson be next?

Citing league sources, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article that the Pacers are a team to watch in terms of Johnson’s next destination. Brooklyn is looking to clear as much salary as possible for the offseason and Johnson is in the second year of a four-year, $94.5MM contract.

Johnson, who is averaging career highs in points (19.5) and assists (3.0) per game, could fortify the Pacers at the wing position. The Grizzlies have also been mentioned as a likely Johnson suitor, though Stein notes that they might not be inclined to deal with the Nets. Memphis had extensive talks with the Nets regarding Finney-Smith before he was dealt to the Lakers and there were said to be “hard feelings” between the two teams about how those discussions played out.

The Kings have held trade talks with the Nets regarding Johnson, but aren’t willing to part with rookie guard Devin Carter, who made his NBA debut on Friday after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Raptors have turned aside inquiries regarding center Jakob Poeltl, Stein reports. The big man is averaging career-bests in both scoring (15.4 PPG) and rebounding (10.7 RPG) and is signed through at least 2026, with a player option for ’26/27. Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk are considered the veterans that Toronto is most open to trading prior to the February deadline.
While it’ll be difficult to move Zach LaVine‘s contract, the Bulls are expected to deal center Nikola Vucevic and possibly Lonzo Ball prior to the deadline, says Stein. Vucevic is averaging 2o.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while Ball is on an expiring contract and has made a respectable comeback from his long-term knee issues. As Stein notes, the Bulls have incentive to tank. If they finish with the league’s sixth-worst record or below, it’ll guarantee that they’ll hold onto their pick in this year’s June draft. Chicago owes a top-10 protected pick to San Antonio.

Kings’ Devin Carter Available To Make NBA Debut

January 3rd, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings lottery pick Devin Carter has been cleared to make his NBA debut, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania (via Twitter), the rookie guard will be available to play on Friday when Sacramento hosts the Grizzlies, whose coaching staff includes Anthony Carter, Devin’s father.

The younger Carter was the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft after enjoying a big junior year last season at Providence, where he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game across 33 outings (all starts). He made 47.3% of his shot attempts from the floor, including 37.7% of 6.8 three-pointers per contest, and claimed Big East Player of the Year honors.

However, Carter’s NBA debut was delayed due to a left shoulder injury. He underwent surgery in July to repair a torn labrum, which prevented him from suiting up in Summer League, the preseason, or the first part of the NBA season.

Carter spent over five months recovering from the surgery and rehabbing, then made his G League debut for the Stockton Kings last Saturday. In a pair of appearances for Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, the 22-year-old racked up 46 total points, making 10-of-19 three-pointers (52.6%). He also filled up the box score by averaging 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

It’s unclear whether Carter will immediately earn rotation minutes for the Kings, who have relied on De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk this season to run the point and initiate the offense. DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis also spend a good deal of time with the ball in their hands, with backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin playing a relatively limited role.

Whether or not he gets regular playing time right away, having a healthy Carter available off the bench will give new interim head coach Doug Christie one more option in his backcourt.

Kings Notes: Trade Talks, Brown, Fox, Carter

December 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

As the Kings began to slide down the Western Conference standings over the past several weeks, the front office contemplated making smaller trades “just to change things up,” and also discussed larger deals involving Bulls wing Zach LaVine, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nets guard Cam Thomas, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

According to Shelburne, the Kings consulted with former head coach Mike Brown on whether to make roster or coaching staff changes prior to parting ways with the 2023 Coach of the Year.

“Nobody wanted to fire Mike,” one Kings source told Shelburne. “He’s a good coach. People here really care about him. Until the very last moment we were trying to make it work.”

Sources tell Shelburne that general manager Monte McNair, assistant GM Wes Wilcox, team president Matina Kolokotronis and owner Vivek Ranadive had “several calls and meetings” to discuss Brown’s future with the organization during Sacramento’s recent 0-5 homestand. McNair ultimately called Brown to inform him of the decision as Brown was driving to the airport to board a team flight to L.A. — the timing and execution of the move drew criticism from around the NBA.

After speaking to Brown, McNair and Wilcox called De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis to let them know, but none were consulted beforehand, Shelburne reports.

Shelburne also confirms a report from The Athletic stating that Kings players had grown weary of Brown publicly bashing the team in post-game press conferences.

For what it’s worth, Marc Stein writes that it’s a “struggle to find anyone around the league” who thinks the firing of Brown was justified (Substack link).

Here’s more on the Kings:

There has been some speculation that Fox may have been unhappy with Brown, in part because of the way the veteran coach criticized him for committing a disastrous foul in the closing seconds of Thursday’s loss to Detroit, but the former All-Star tells Shelburne he enjoys being coached hard and was on good terms with Brown. “I feel like there’s this perception that people thought that we were at odds,” Fox says. “You can ask anybody in this organization: me and Mike have never even had an argument. We could disagree with something. We talked about it and it was gone.”
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there have been “grumblings in NBA circles” suggesting that Fox will ask to be traded before the February 6 deadline. With that in mind, Pincus comes up with a hypothetical deal that sees Fox land with the Rockets.
Rookie guard Devin Carter made his NBA G League debut with the Stockton Kings on Saturday and was recalled prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers, though he didn’t end up playing in what would have been a back-to-back (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento). Still, it’s obviously a positive development, as Carter is inching closer to making his NBA regular season debut following offseason shoulder surgery.

Pacific Notes: Carter, Davis, Reaves, Schröder

December 26th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Lottery pick Devin Carter appears to be nearing his season debut for the Kings.

Sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento that Carter, who underwent surgery in July to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, has been cleared for “unrestricted basketball activity.” The team confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).

The former Providence star is expected to be assigned soon to Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton to participate in live play, Cunningham reports.

The Kings announced in November that Carter had been cleared for unrestricted shooting. When he underwent surgery, Carter was given a return timeline of six months, and he seems to be right on track in his recovery process.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Anthony Davis tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN he’s confident the left ankle sprain he experienced on Wednesday won’t keep him out for the Lakers‘ next matchup (Twitter link). “I’ll be OK. I am playing against SAC on Saturday,” Davis said. The star big man missed most of yesterday’s game with the injury.
Austin Reaves says he’s “not really an emotional person” but he nearly teared up after notching a 26-point triple-double and making a game-winning layup in the Lakers‘ Christmas victory over Golden State, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “I know all my people back home are locked in and sitting around with family watching the game and that means a lot to me. I say it all the time, I’m not necessarily supposed to be in this position,” said Reaves, who went undrafted in 2021 and wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school. “I got lucky, got my foot in the door and took advantage of an opportunity. And now I’m sitting here … on Christmas with a game-winner and a triple-double, and really the win that matters the most to me.”
Veteran guard Dennis Schröder is still adjusting to his new role after being traded to the Warriors less than two weeks ago, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. An impending free agent, Schröder has struggled in his first four games with Golden State after putting up some of the best numbers of his career this season with Brooklyn. He says he doesn’t mind switching teams so many times over the past several years. “Twelve years in, I don’t really care no more,” Schröder said. “As long as I’m somewhere where I’m wanted and people appreciate me, and that is what I’ve had so far from the coaches. Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches. For him to believe in me like that, everybody in the organization telling me, ‘You kicked our ass the last couple of years.’ Of course, that is great. If I can stick here, cool. But if not, then I will move on to next city and organization. I don’t really mind. There are 400 people out of eight billion who play in the NBA. I don’t take those moments for granted. I can play 25, 30, 35 minutes every night. I don’t care what nobody has to say. You played on eight teams. That’s fine. I’m really blessed. I have more money to spend and help my family.”

Western Rumors: Kings, Grant, Kessler, Moody, Looney, Rockets, A. Mitchell

December 2nd, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are off to a disappointing 9-12 start this season, already 2.5 games back of a play-in spot in the Western Conference, prompting executives around the NBA to keep an eye on the situation in Sacramento to see if the front office will make another move to try to upgrade its roster, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Citing a “heightened sense of urgency” in Sacramento, Scotto suggests that teams talking to the Kings will be eager to see if the club is willing to part with first-round picks, rookie Devin Carter, or perhaps former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, who has essentially been off the table in trade discussions in recent years.

For now, it seems safe to assume that the Kings will dangle Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in trade talks, according to Scotto, who points out that both players were also available last season. Between Huerter’s $16.8MM cap hit and Lyles’ $8MM expiring deal, Sacramento could get to about $25MM in matching salary and then sweeten an offer from there by adding draft capital and/or a young player.

Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Scotto:

Although Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and Jazz center Walker Kessler are both considered potential trade candidates, Portland has been unwilling to move Grant without getting two first-round picks back and Utah has sought at least two first-rounders for Kessler, Scotto writes. Teams with interest in Grant and Kessler have viewed the Blazers’ and Jazz’s asking prices as too high, Scotto notes.
Moses Moody signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors before the season, but his role hasn’t increased at all, leading to speculation that he’s a player to monitor as a possible trade chip, says Scotto. “Moody could be part of a package in a bigger deal, and (head coach) Steve Kerr still doesn’t play him 20 minutes a game,” one league executive told HoopsHype. Moody would be subject to the poison pill provision if he’s dealt this season, which wouldn’t preclude a trade but would make it more complicated.
The Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies had “exploratory” trade interest in Warriors center Kevon Looney during the offseason before they addressed frontcourt holes in other ways, Scotto reports. Looney, who is on an $8MM expiring contract, has been Golden State’s leading rebounder (7.6 RPG) despite playing just 14.9 minutes per night.
Despite reports insisting the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their young core to acquire a player like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, many rival executives believe it’s just a matter of when – not if – Houston makes a big splash on the trade market, according to Scotto. Those execs believe Jalen Green won’t be off limits in future Rockets trade talks, even after signing a three-year, $105MM+ contract extension in October.
Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell, who has impressed in a rotation role this fall, is considered a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster later this season, per Scotto. Oklahoma City currently has a full 15-man roster, but has some flexibility with its last roster spot, which is held by Branden Carlson on a non-guaranteed deal.

Kings’ Top Reserve Malik Monk Out At Least Two Weeks

November 11th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk didn’t play against San Antonio on Monday and the Kings guard will miss several more games. He has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat via a team press release (Twitter link).

X-rays revealed no structural damage to the ankle, which he injured during the second quarter against Phoenix on Sunday.

Monk, one of the NBA’s top reserves, is averaging 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 10 games this season. He had a career year last season, averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 72 games off the bench. Monk parlayed that into a four-year, $78MM contract during free agency over the summer.

The Kings also offered two other injury updates. Big man Orlando Robinson is progressing from the left MCL sprain he suffered during training camp on Oct. 3. He has been cleared for contact and the team will update his status in the coming days.

First-round pick Devin Carter is progressing from left shoulder surgery he underwent in July. After a four-month follow-up appointment with a medical specialist, he was cleared for unrestricted shooting. Additional updates will be provided in January. The club offered a timetable of six months following the surgery.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

Kings’ Devin Carter Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 6 Months

July 11th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 11: Carter underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum and is expected to return in six months, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento.

JULY 7: Kings rookie lottery pick Devin Carter is slated to go under the knife, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the guard is undergoing left shoulder surgery.

The procedure will take place next week, per Charania. An exact recovery timeline is not yet known, although the availability of the 6’2″ point guard for the beginning of 2024/25 is said to be in question.

It had been previously reported that the former Providence guard would sit out both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League due to the injury.

The 2023/24 Big East Player of the Year, Carter averaged 19.7 points (on .473/.377/.749 shooting), 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game across 33 contests for the Friars last year, all starts.

Carter was Sacramento’s only draft pick this season, after the club offloaded their rights to the No. 45 pick, former Houston point guard Jamal Shead, to the Raptors.