Devin Carter is wrapping up his second season with the Sacramento Kings and playing his best basketball to date. He's just not consistent. With his team option being one of many decisions the Kings need to make in the near future, Carter needs to get his game on track right now.
Sacramento just came off back-to-back losses, one to the Hawks on Saturday and one to the Nets on Sunday. At the very least, the Kings made a reasonable effort in both outings. Their strategy for the end of the season has been more about culture building than tanking for a lottery spot.
Plus, the Kings are planning for the next stage of the rebuild, and that means taking every opportunity to assess young players. They've been signing 10-day contracts, giving big minutes to two-way players, and trying out every possible combination of starters on the court.
Of course, this isn't just about the future. These moves are also a response to the fact that the Kings are dealing with nine or ten injured players pretty much every night. This has been creating openings for players like Carter to get on the court and make some noise, though he's still got work to do.
And Devin Carter needs to do that work quickly
Since Carter has been getting more minutes, his game has improved dramatically. He's becoming a reliable scorer off the bench, a solid defender, and someone the Kings can sub in as a starter when needed. The problem is how much his game still varies from night to night.
In the loss to the Hawks, Carter started the game, played almost 18 minutes, and finished with two points, two rebounds, and one assist. Against the Nets, he played nearly 29 minutes and collected 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Plus, he was the starting point guard.
The massive variation in minutes is obviously a contributing factor, but what Carter does with those minutes is on him. With a team option coming up, the Kings will look at realities like this when making decisions. Their rebuild roster is filling up, and there are still three new draft picks coming.
Like Daeqwon Plowden and even DaQuan Jeffries, Carter is playing for his spot on the roster. He has two years left on his contract, both of which are team options. Nothing is guaranteed for him. Carter's game has improved dramatically, but he needs to be consistent to keep his position.