Sacramento Kings’ Devin Carter Sidelined Due To Left Shoulder Surgery

Sacramento Kings rookie Devin Carter underwent surgery on his left shoulder on Thursday to repair a torn labrum after being out of the Las Vegas Summer League. The surgery will sideline Carter until mid-January, and he will be available for re-evaluation in six months.

The 6’4″ rookie guard was taken 13th overall by the Kings in the 2024 NBA draft after spending the last two years playing for the Providence Friars. Last season, Carter won Big East Player of the Year after averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Sacramento selected the former Friar due to his defensive abilities while being an overall fit to the Kings’ timeline.

Carter is in good spirits as he posted a picture on X of his repaired shoulder, indicating the surgery was a success. “I’ll be back soon and I can’t wait to show y’all this dawg you have,” the rookie commented.

Despite acquiring Demar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls, Carter’s injury is a devastating blow to the Kings’ defense since the guard was supposed to be one of the team’s best defenders. Sacramento signed ex-Timberwolves point guard Jordan McLaughlin to bolster depth at the position as Davion Mitchell was shipped to Toronto to shed salary – Malik Monk was also resigned.

The Kings would need to rely on their offense to win them games in Carter’s absence. That shouldn’t be too much of an issue as DeRozan led the NBA in clutch-time scoring last season while De’Aaron Fox was awarded the same nod in 2022-2023. However, it is said that “defense wins games” and having Carter healthy will provide the defensive boost Sacramento needs to compete in a stacked Western Conference.

Article by Christian Bongiorno