With all of the talk of the 2024 NBA Draft class being one of the weakest in recent memory, it’ll be important for teams to get creative in their evaluations. Every draft contains high-level basketball players, capable of exceeding expectations and making the teams that passed on them look bad. It’s just up to front offices to put in the work and trust in both the film and the numbers. And one player that seems to be hiding in plain sight is Providence guard Devin Carter.
As of right now, Carter looks like a fringe lottery pick that is more likely to be selected in the 15-25 range. But he is coming off an outrageous junior season, as he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. And when diving into his resume and analyzing his tools, it isn’t crazy to think he can be a very good starter in the NBA.
With Carter, it’s hard not to start with the defense. As previously mentioned, he averaged 2.8 “stocks” per game last season. What’s incredible about that is that Carter is listed at 6-foot-3, which probably means he’s a bit shorter than that. But he has a plus wingspan at 6-foot-7, and is a feisty competitor. That allows him to play a little bigger than his size. And overall, Carter just takes a ton of pride in getting stops. He’s a menace at the point of attack, and he’s just as big of a pain off the ball.
Last year, Providence was 18th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Bart Torvik had the Friars in the top 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Carter was the tone setter for Kim English’s group. He got right up on the opposing team’s lead guard every night, working to either create turnovers or force his man to get rid of the basketball. And Carter only fouled out of one game as a junior, despite playing an in-your-face style for the better part of 40 minutes.
His combination of good footwork and footspeed should allow him to continue to do a good job of harassing guards at the next level. And it helps that he has tremendous defensive instincts. When thinking about the best defenders in a draft class, we often think of the wing stoppers or rim protectors. But Carter is arguably the best overall defender in the class, and doing it at the point of attack is rare. So, his next team will be getting a unique piece on the defensive end.
Carter also happens to be an elite rebounder at the guard position. You simply don’t see guards that flirt with double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis. But Carter had 13 games in which he pulled down at least 10 boards last year. And while he might not be able to replicate that in the pros, he will be a difficult player for opposing guards to keep off the glass. So, boxing him out will be a part of the scouting report, and that will be annoying for his opponents. You normally don’t have to worry about the little guys.
Normally a player with Carter’s ability to do the dirty work is somewhat clumsy offensively or has real holes in their game, at the very least. But that’s not the case with Carter. In fact, the 2023-24 Big East Player of the Year was an absurdly productive offensive player in college, and he took his game to new heights in his final year in Rhode Island. That’s why it’s a little perplexing that he isn’t generating more top-10 buzz.
A lot of people think Carter’s shooting mechanics are a little unorthodox, and it definitely feels like a little work can be done to clean them up. It almost looks like he pauses a bit near his chest before releasing, which isn’t something you want. But he shot 37.7% from deep last year, and he did it on 6.8 attempts per game. That was a massive improvement from 2022-23, when he shot just 29.9% on 3.5 attempts per game. And Carter has a clear belief in his jumper now, as evidenced by the 37.3% he shot on long threes (according to Synergy Sports). Shaky shooters don’t pull up from well beyond the three-point line, but Carter did it regularly.
In a lot of ways, evaluating his three-point shooting is like doing so with Tyrese Haliburton at Iowa State. If the guy is making shots, looks comfortable letting them fly and is capable of making them from NBA range, it’s best not to overthink it. And Carter didn’t just hit catch-and-shoot triples either. He can shoot off the dribble, he makes jumpers on the move and he can make them late in games. That said, his jumper should eventually be a weapon in the NBA.
Carter is also a dynamic pick-and-roll ball handler. Last year, Providence scored 1.000 points per possession when Carter ran that action, and that was considered “excellent” and put him in the 89th percentile in the nation. Carter is great at running the pick and roll because he can shoot the ball and finish at the rim at a high level. Despite being a bit smaller than you want a guard to be, Carter scored 1.32 points per possession at the rim last year. That put him in the 82nd percentile in college basketball. He is good at getting the ball up and over rim protectors, and he’s comfortable using weird angles to make shots. He’s also good with his off hand. That finishing ability also makes Carter a tough cover in transition.
The guard also sets his teammates up for good looks. Providence wasn’t a very good offensive team, so Carter didn’t rack up assists. But his ability to play the pick-and-roll game isn’t limited to his scoring. He’s also good at making pocket passes, and he is capable of throwing lobs. Carter does a good job of keeping his head up when attacking, so when he’s surrounded by NBA talent, he should look like a better passer than he did in college. He occasionally struggled with the shrunken court he had to deal with because of the Friars’ weak offense. That shouldn’t be the case at the next level.
There’s just a lot that Carter can do very well and he gets it done on both ends of the floor. He plays with a ton of emotion and every NBA team loves a high-motor guy. It isn’t hard to envision a scenario in which he is contributing right away in the NBA, even if it’s as a reserve. It almost feels like his worst-case scenario will see him as a bigger version of Jose Alvarado.
It also helps that Carter will be able to lean on his father, Anthony Carter, for advice. He was an absolute pro and had a lengthy NBA career.
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For any NBA team looking for a young center to add some frontcourt help, one just hit the open market. After signing a two-year contract at the end of the 2024-25 season, the Toronto Raptors have waived Colin Castleton, a 25-year-old center. "The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have waived centre Colin Castleton," the team announced. "In 26 games (four starts) with Memphis, Philadelphia and Toronto last season, Castleton averaged 4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 16.6 minutes. He signed consecutive 10-day contracts with the Raptors in March before signing a standard NBA contract Apr. 13, the final day of the regular season." Castleton went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, but was picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers. Through 16 appearances with the Lakers in his rookie year, Castleton averaged 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in just 3.7 minutes per game, but had a more productive sophomore campaign. To start the 2024-25 season, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Castleton to a two-way contract before waiving him, and he went on to earn a handful of ten-day deals with the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers. Castleton shined in just an 11-game stint with the Raptors last season, averaging 7.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in two ten-day contract opportunities. Now, the 6-foot-11 big man hits the open market and could certainly earn a two-way spot elsewhere, or revert to the G League, where he stood out last season. However, an underwhelming 2025 Summer League with Toronto may turn some teams away.
Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
One of the biggest storylines in the NFL this offseason was the decision the Green Bay Packers made to release two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Last year, the former first-round pick played in just seven games due to various injuries, including a torn PCL that cost him all but 10 snaps of the second half of the season. The year prior, he played just seven games as well due to other injuries. In other words, out of the past 34 possible regular season games, Alexander played in just 14 of them. Dating back to 2021, he played in just 34 out of a possible 68 regular season games, with 2022 being the only season in which he played more than seven contests. According to prior reports, Green Bay and Alexander disagreed on how his knee injury last season should be treated. This led to a fracture in their relationship and, eventually, the cornerback’s release. Former Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Signed with the Baltimore Ravens Prior to his release, Alexander and the Packers had engaged in talks over a revised contract that would lower his salary cap hit and allow him to become a free agent following this upcoming season. However, he did not agree to Green Bay’s terms, and since no NFL team wanted to offer up draft capital in a trade for him, the Packers were forced to release him. Not only was this development a disappointment to fans, among whom Alexander was a favorite player, but it sparked concern that would join one of Green Bay’s NFC North division rivals. Instead, though, Alexander signed a one-year $6 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He had previously been linked to them due to the fact that he and two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson were teammates in college. Former Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Missed Baltimore Ravens Practice with a Knee Injury Unfortunately for Alexander and the Ravens, the injury concerns that the Packers had regarding the star cornerback seem to have reappeared in Baltimore. According to multiple reporters, the two-time Pro Bowler did not practice on Monday due to swelling in his knee: Alexander is getting his knee drained and is expected to practice on Tuesday. But even though it is just one practice and he is just supposed to miss one day, the fact of the matter is that his knee will never be the same. This will be an injury that will affect him for the rest of his career, and could cause him to miss time during the season. While an unpopular decision among many, perhaps releasing Alexander was the right move for the Packers after all.