Predicating when Devin Carter will make his debut for the Sacramento Kings

One of the most exciting parts of a new season is getting to see your team's new draft picks in action for the first time. In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings used their 13th overall pick to nab Providence Friars guard Devin Carter (a selection that many people view as a steal).

Unfortunately, the Kings will have to wait a little longer than most teams to see our lottery pick in action, as Carter elected to get offseason surgery to repair his left shoulder.

When Will Carter Be Back?

On a recent episode of the Dunc'd On Basketball NBA Podcast, Nate Duncan had Kings Reporter Jason Ham on to preview the upcoming season. During the show, Duncan asked Ham what the word was on Carter's injury.

“We won’t have an update until January, and even then, the word on the street during the draft was that if he did need surgery on that shoulder, it would be six to eight months," Ham told Duncan. "The six-month mark (January) would be generous. So, it’s conceivable that he won’t be back until February or March. [But] at that point, I’m not sure what you’re going to do there. Are you going to try to bring him back? Or are you going to redshirt him?”

For reference, when it was reported in July that Carter was getting surgery on his shoulder, the initial timetable was six to eight months (which would put Carter at a January return date at the earliest).

Based on what Ham is saying now, it seems like a January return may be too optimistic. But considering Carter's lack of experience, if you're a team like the Kings (who clearly has playoff aspirations), do you really want to be working in a rookie during the homestretch of the regular season?

If I had to guess, I'd say that unless Carter recovers super quickly and is ready by January or early February, we won't see him at all this season. The Kings want to make a run this year, and given that they are playing in the hyper-competitive Western Conference, they won't have time to waste in March or April helping a rookie find his footing.

It is annoying that we very well may have to wait until next year to see what our first round pick is capable of. But look at it this way: Chet Holmgren had to take out a redshirt year, and look how great he was in 2023-24. I'm not saying Carter is that special of a prospect, but taking a year to learn the ropes and get healthy isn't necessarily a bad thing.