Keegan Murray's preseason injury has thrown a lot of things into flux around the Sacramento Kings' operation. One person who may have benefitted heavily from this is Devin Carter. The Kings have exercised their 2026-2027 team option with him, and the timing isn't a coincidence.
Carter was drafted in 2024 by the Sacramento Kings, but spent much of last season on their G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, and recovering from shoulder surgery. He would end up playing 36 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Those aren't exactly stellar numbers, but he was in his rookie season and only averaging 11 minutes per game. Plus, it was a rough season in Sacramento with the departures of head coach Mike Brown and De'Aaron Fox. No one on the Kings was playing their best basketball in 2024-2025.
The future of Devin Carter
Even giving him the benefit of the doubt, Carter didn't leave much of an impression on anyone last season. The 2025-2026 preseason has been better, with him getting more time in each of the games. That has made a difference in his play.
Against the Raptors, Carter played 16 minutes and picked up eight points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The second preseason game against the Blazers wasn't as good. Devin collected six points, two rebounds, and one assist in almost 15 minutes.
The problem for Carter is that he's on a guard-heavy team with a new batch of rookies who are deftly stealing the spotlight from basically everyone who isn't named LaVine. With his team option coming up at the end of October, it wasn't hard to imagine that the Kings might not take him for 2026-2027.
The Kings pickup Devin Carter's team option
As it turns out, the Kings want to stay in the Devin Carter business for now as they have picked his team option up before the first deadline on October 31. Some were surprised because of the number of guards on the team and the salary cap issues the franchise keeps running up against.
The injury to Keegan Murray likely helped spur this decision along. With one of their main starters out of the roster for four to six weeks, assuming everything goes well, that means the Kings need someone like Carter to help fill in the gaps for the immediate future.
But the Kings have also shown a desire to trade him, and Carter becoming a restricted free agent next summer definitely would decrease his trade value. Once Murray is healthy and the rotation is nailed down, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Kings move Carter before the trade deadline.