For anyone hoping that Devin Carter's redemption arc would continue with the Sacramento Kings, prepare to be disappointed. It has been reported that the Kings are sending Carter to the Atlanta Hawks. Hopefully, the Hawks put more effort into his development as the Kings dropped the ball.
The Sacramento Kings are trading guard Devin Carter and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
The deal is framed as a trade, but the Kings are getting nothing specific in return. Atlanta gets Carter as well as a 2033 second-round pick. In exchange, Atlanta is quite literally sending nothing to Sacramento, which is exactly what the Kings need in this situation, as odd as that sounds.
As it stands right now, Sacramento has too many players, especially guards, and too large a payroll. They need to make cuts in both areas to get ready for the next season. Moving Carter gets one guard out of a crowded rotation, as well as freeing up even a small portion of the salary cap.
The future draft pick was included as an incentive to the Hawks to take on Carter's salary. Basically, the Kings dumped Carter to make room for their future plans. It's a shame because he always had the potential to do more for Sacramento if the team had just put more effort into his development.
Carter's bad timing with the Kings
Realistically, a trade for Carter was inevitable after the Kings picked up two new guards in the draft, meaning something had to give on the roster. Sacramento has seemed unsure about Carter since they drafted him two seasons ago. His inability to find his legs in the NBA wasn't all his fault, though.
In Carter's first season, he spent time in the G League, dealt with an injury, and struggled to find minutes. Worst of all, he was brought in during the period when everything was falling apart on the Kings after Mike Brown was fired and De'Aaron Fox was traded. He got lost in the shuffle.
Things weren't much better for him once Scott Perry took over as general manager and Doug Christie became head coach. It wasn't until several players were out injured that he started getting regular minutes and showed improvement. Even then, it didn't feel like he was part of the Kings' plans.
Carter's situation with the Kings was not dissimilar to what Keon Ellis was dealing with before his trade. In both cases, there was a lack of desire to develop these players despite their potential. Hopefully, Carter gets the chance he deserves to finally prove himself on the Hawks.
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