Looking back at what worked on the Sacramento Kings in 2025-2026, the Beam Boys are the biggest standout. But for some reason, Devin Carter never seemed to gel with the group. That could have been another example of his lack of fit with the Kings overall and why he was traded.
Sacramento drafted Carter 13th overall in 2024, which seemed like a good pick at the time. He was a combo guard out of Providence with a few college seasons under his belt. The Kings still had De'Aaron Fox then, but Carter would have made a good developmental point guard behind him.
It didn't work out that way. Shortly after Carter's rookie season started, the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown, traded Fox away, and reunited Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan for no apparent reason. That season was a train wreck of epic proportions, and Carter's development hit the back burner.
Carter falls off the Kings' radar even further
Season number two didn't look much better. The Kings' new general manager, Scott Perry, and new head coach, Doug Christie, began a rebuild process that centered on rookies Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell, as well as veteran Precious Achiuwa, aka the Beam Boys.
As this group became more prominent, Carter seemed to become more of an afterthought. He finally started getting minutes later in the season after a series of injuries to various veterans opened the door for him. It also helped that the Kings were desperate for a point guard.
To be fair to Carter, he did fairly well for a second-year player who received minimal development and court time before that. Yet, he was still on the outside of the Beam Boys looking in while Daeqwon Powden, a two-way player picking up steam, appeared to join the group. It was odd, to say the least.
The Kings send Carter to the Hawks
Despite his potential, Carter never seemed to click with the Kings organization or the Beam Boys. Given how rocky things were around the franchise during his two-year run in Sacramento, that's not completely his fault. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that a change needed to be made.
The Kings have to build a roster that connects with each other. That starts with the Beam Boys and spreads out from there. If Carter didn't fit, the best thing for both him and Sacramento was a trade. That's exactly what happened in the offseason as the Kings sent him to the Hawks.
In exchange, Sacramento got a second-round draft pick and, more importantly, cap-relief to keep them out of the luxury tax. On the other hand, Carter gets a new chance to prove himself on a rising Atlanta team that could be a legit contender as early as this season. It's ultimately a win-win.
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