The Celtics officially converted Devin Carter to a two-way deal. While the team is excited that Carter is sticking around, he won’t be suiting up for a little while.
Carter has mononucleosis, according to multiple reports Sunday. That explains the illness that has kept him out since the preseason opener. There’s no firm timeline for his return, though the Globe’s Gary Washburn reported he could miss a few more weeks.
That opener was a wonderful introduction. Carter scored 17 points in 25 minutes against Cleveland on 5-of-9 shooting. He went 6-of-6 at the line, putting a ton of pressure on the rim. He also added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He showed a lot of the promise that made him a lottery pick for Sacramento two seasons ago.
His audition was unfortunately cut short after one game, but this lone performance was strong enough and his potential is too much for Boston to pass up on.
Joe Mazzulla pointed to Carter’s ceiling as the reason for the deal. “You see the talent, the impact that he could have, and you want to be able to invest in that,” he said.
Carter is on his third team in four months. Sacramento took him 13th in 2024 and traded him to Atlanta in June. The Hawks then waived him in September to get down to 15 players. Mazzulla said Carter has talent and has shown flashes as a pro, but he needs to put his head down in Boston. So far, that’s exactly what he’s done.
“Came in with a great attitude. Did what we asked him to do,” Mazzulla said.
The Celtics have a lot of options in their development pipeline, but the team uses their G League affiliate in Maine about as well as anyone in terms of investing in young talent and guiding their growth. The two-way deal gives Boston more control of Carter’s trajectory. He’ll fill the team’s third two-way slot alongside Dillon Mitchell and Amari Williams.
Carter can also remain available when the Celtics need depth throughout the year, like we saw with Williams last season.
This is a second draft opportunity for both sides. Carter gets a change of scenery, and Boston takes a shot at a player with real NBA skills that has more room for growth.
Boston has already hit on Neemias Queta, who came off the Kings’ scrap heap as well. Ron Harper Jr. went from an Exhibit 10, to a two-way, to a three-year extension. Carter could have a similar journey in store for him.
He’s a smart and tenacious defender, and Mazzulla called him “really impactful on the defensive end of the floor.” The shooting is a question mark. He shot 27.4 percent from three over his first two seasons. He has other skills worth betting on, but if the jumper comes along, he could find a home here like Queta, Harper, and others have.
Mono will delay that, but Boston’s guard room is in good shape with Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Mike Conley all healthy. While the Celtics might need Carter at some point, getting him healthy and sharpening his tools in Maine is the short-term focus.
The Celtics see the vision with Carter, and hopefully this is just a brief delay before it starts coming together once he returns.
