The Atlanta Hawks waived former Sacramento Kings lottery pick Devin Carter on Friday, making him a free agent just months after acquiring him. The move closes a short chapter for the 13th overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft. Carter's release comes as the Kings themselves are handling a mixed recent form, having gone 2-3 in their last five games, including a 122-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on April 13.
The Kings selected Devin Carter 13th overall out of Providence College in 2024. His rookie season saw limited action, with Carter coming off the bench in all 36 of his appearances. He averaged just 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in about 11 minutes per game. A stint in the G-League with the Stockton Kings showed more promise, where he put up 28 points per game across five contests.
His second year offered a slight uptick in production. Carter played in 38 games during the 2025-26 campaign, starting 12 of them. His averages improved to 8.9 points and 2.7 assists per game. But it wasn't enough to secure a long-term spot in Sacramento's plans. On June 30, the Kings traded Carter and a 2033 second-round pick to Atlanta for the draft rights to Alpha Kaba, a 2017 pick who has never played in the NBA.
Carter arrived in Atlanta with one season left on his rookie scale contract, worth just over $5 million. The Hawks decided not to pick up his team option and waived him instead. If he clears waivers, he'll be an unrestricted free agent. Two teams giving up on a former lottery pick so quickly raises questions about his immediate NBA fit.
His two-way contract eligibility means any new team will likely assign him significant G-League time. There's also a specific rule blocking a return to Sacramento. As pointed out on social media, the Kings are not eligible to re-sign Carter after trading him. They've already drafted his apparent replacement, selecting guard Darius Acuff Jr. With the seventh overall pick this summer. Veteran Ben Simmons was also brought in to handle backup guard duties, leaving no roster space.
The Kings' focus is firmly on their current roster and recent performance. Their last outing was a 122-110 defeat in Portland. Before that, they secured a 124-118 home victory over the Golden State Warriors on April 11.
Their recent five-game stretch shows inconsistency: a win, then three losses, followed by another win. The sequence includes a 110-105 loss in Golden State, a 138-109 defeat to the LA Clippers, and a 117-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. A 123-115 road victory against the Toronto Raptors on April 2 kicked off this period.
For Devin Carter, the path forward is unclear. His next contract will be his first as a free agent. The combination of his G-League dominance and NBA struggles makes him a classic reclamation project. Some team may take a chance on his scoring potential, betting that development time can unlock the talent that made him a lottery pick. For now, he waits while the Kings build without him.
