As a general rule, it's been accepted by the entire league that the Sacramento Kings completely dropped the ball with Keon Ellis. Unfortunately, they're on the verge of making the same mistake with Devin Carter. Sacramento needs to either trust him or let him go to a team that actually will.
Sactown fans are still confused about Ellis. A player who should have been a solid 3&D player for the Kings struggled to find minutes, trust, and respect from the coaching staff. Things got particularly bad after Doug Christie, who seemed particularly uninterested in Ellis, became head coach.
Now, Ellis is playing reliable basketball for the Cavs, averaging 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game in March. The Kings didn't botch the Ellis situation as badly as the Warriors screwed up with Jonathan Kuminga, but it was still perplexing nonetheless.
At this point, the past is hopefully the past, and both sides are moving in. The concern has to be if the Kings have learned their lesson or not, because a similar-ish situation is brewing with Devin Carter. And Sacramento doesn't want to miss another opportunity right under their noses.
Devin Carter could do great things for the Kings
For the first two-thirds of the season, Carter struggled to find minutes on the court. He was largely left on the bench, only getting meaningful playing time when he was assigned to the G League. After the trade deadline, his situation has improved rather dramatically and in a rapid fashion.
Carter is actually getting at least somewhat regular minutes, as well as real opportunities with the ball. Keeping in mind he missed a chunk of March due to injuries, all of his season averages have risen sharply in the past several weeks. It's a glimpse into the kind of player he could be.
At the same time, the consistency on behalf of the Kings still isn't there. Carter will get 28 minutes in one game, then get six the next. There's no discernible reason for this other than Coach Christie doing Coach Christie things and switching lines up in odd basketball experiments.
If the Kings don't show Carter any trust, he's going to end up taking his services elsewhere. Maybe that's what Sacramento ultimately wants, though that would be a major missed opportunity. Carter is only in his second season and has huge potential upside. Seems like a shame to waste it.