The Sacramento Kings are sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference after entering the NBA All-Star break with 28 wins and 27 losses. With 27 games left in the regular season, the Kings have an opportunity to secure a playoff spot in April.
After trading away star point guard De'Aaron Fox before the All-Star break, the Kings were left without a true point guard. Instead, the team relies on Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis to be the primary ballhandlers.
Last summer, the Kings took a chance on guard Devin Carter with their first-round pick in the NBA draft. Carter was sidelined due to injury at the beginning of the season but made 16 appearances before being sent to the Kings' G-League affiliates, the Stockton Kings.
Carter was sent to Stockton to earn more reps and playing time after struggling at the NBA level. Sacramento opted to recall Carter from Stockton after the All-Star break, meaning he'll re-join the team before their matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
OFFICIAL: @SacramentoKings recall Devin Carter from the @StocktonKings
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) February 20, 2025
In his first 16 games, Carter averaged 3.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 9.9 minutes. Shooting just 31.1% from the field, Carter needed more time to adjust to NBA-level play before feeling comfortable in Sacramento's rotation.
Carter's last appearance for Sacramento was February 6th in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team opted to send Carter to the G-League after he posted zero points and rebounds in the loss.
17 PTS 12 REB 7 AST 3 BLK
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 3, 2025
2024 NBA first round pick Devin Carter posted his first professional DOUBLE-DOUBLE in the @stocktonkings 24-point win over the Hustle! pic.twitter.com/bWXxncHurQ
The Kings are entering a crucial two-game homestand against the Warriors and Charlotte Hornets this weekend. If they can come out with two wins, the Kings would be in contention for the 8-seed if the Dallas Mavericks lose.
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