Some Atlanta Hawks fans may tell you that the team hasn’t made many moves this offseason, but if you check the transaction list, you’d see several things they did. No, it was Jaylen Brown, or trying for LeBron James, but they’ve made moves that will keep them financially flexible, while also competitive now and in the future.
One of the several moves they made that may have gone under the radar was acquiring Devin Carter and a second-round pick from the Sacramento Kings.
Carter is going into his third
year in the league after being selected with the No. 13 pick by the Kings in the 2024 NBA Draft. At the time, the pick was seen as a good move for Sacramento, but through two seasons, it’s obvious things just didn’t work out. With the recent selection of Darius Acuff Jr., one of their several guards was going to be on the outside looking in, and it happened to be Carter.
He didn’t see many minutes until the final two months of this past season, and he showed that when given the opportunity, he can make an impact.
The first thing that stands out about Carter is his athleticism and his ability to get to the rim. His upper body is sturdy, and he uses that to his advantage when attacking the rim against smaller opponents, or even stronger defenders. Either way, he’s shown that he has a knack for being physical, and that’s special at the guard position.
The closest person that the Hawks have at guard who can get to the rim with his type of skill is Dyson Daniels, and Quin Snyder has always praised his ability to get two feet in the paint. If Carter can do that, he’ll be a good piece off the bench if they need him.
Before coming into the league, Carter’s 3-point shot was something that seemed promising for his career. Through two seasons, he’s shooting a combined 27.4% from the 3-point line, and he shot 26.3% this past season. Whether it’s a change of mechanics or simply needing to improve, Carter is going to have to get that part of his game fixed, especially on a Hawks team that loves to shoot 3s.
The good news is that he showed a little more consistency down the stretch of last season, and the hope is that he can carry that into the upcoming season. The best way to put him in the best situation to succeed is by surrounding him with shooters when he’s on the floor.
Just like Carter uses his athleticism and frame to make plays on offense, that’s what he uses on defense as well. For a guard, he also rebounds better than most, which shows he isn’t afraid of doing the dirty work when he’s on the floor. His energy on that side of the ball could be what the Hawks need off the bench.
Carter isn’t seen as a primary ball handler, so putting him on the floor alongside someone like CJ McCollum or Kington Flemings would be key. He may still have a long way to go as far as playing time, with several Hawks being interchangeable, but if Carter brings the energy that he showed at the end of last season, things could look good for him.
If things don’t work out, the Hawks can say that it was a low-risk, high-reward move, and it didn’t cost them much to see if he could pan out on the team
