With the 2026 NBA Draft firmly behind the league, the focus will turn to trades and free agency. Almost anything is possible, and no player is untouchable. Everyone needs to be prepared for career-changing news, as their team might be moving on. Devin Carter's Kings' exit is a prime example.
The main goal for the Kings during the draft was to find themselves a new primary point guard. They succeeded when they selected Darius Acuff Jr. seventh overall. While he needs to work on the defensive side of his game, there's no doubt that he's the legit point guard the team needs.
In the second round, the Kings also selected Emanuel Sharp, a shooting guard out of Houston. He'll likely spend more time in the G League than Acuff at the start, but has the potential to provide some serious wing depth. It also doesn't hurt that he's a solid 3&D player, which is a big gap for Sacramento.
Both Acuff and Sharp have the capability of being huge guards for Sacramento. That's great for the Kings. It's a lot less great for guards who are already on the team, like Carter. He wasn't exactly an outstanding performer or lived up to the expectations the team had for him when he was drafted.
Carter's days could be numbered on the Kings
On top of the aforementioned Acuff, Sharp, and Carter, Sacramento has several other guards in the mix. That includes Russell Westbrook, Nique Clifford, Malik Monk, Killian Hayes, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Isaiah Stevens, and Daeqwon Plowden. It's a long, long list.
The Kings had 21 players on their roster immediately after the draft. NBA teams can only have 15 on their roster, plus an additional three two-way contracts with G League affiliates. The math obviously wasn't mathing, meaning that the Kings have to make some hard choices.
Sacramento had to start moving guards, with Carter being the first. He could still be developed into a solid backup point guard, but that's up to the Atlanta Hawks now. At the point the trade was finalised, the Kings had already put two years into Carter with moderate improvement at best.
In Carter's defense, the Kings kind of botched his first season of development and only started taking it seriously late in his second season. Still, it was too little, too late. Moving him was the only choice to be made, given the direction of the roster and the outcome of the 2026 draft.
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