With NBA training camp approaching, teams are finalizing the rosters. On Friday, September 11, the Atlanta Hawks waived guard Devin Carter. Carter will go on waivers, and one team that'll have interest in him is the Boston Celtics, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
During his time in college, Carter spent his freshman year at South Carolina before transferring to Providence. It was in his junior season that Carter broke out, averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He also excelled on the defensive side, adding 1.8 steals a game and 1 block.
Though he's had some struggles during his first two years, Carter is the perfect player for the Celtics to take a chance on.
Why the Celtics should take a chance on Devin Carter
After declaring for the NBA draft following his junior season, Carter was selected with the 13th pick by the Sacramento Kings. So far in his career, he hasn't seen the court much, playing in only 74 total games in two years (36 in year 1 and 38 in year 2).
When on the court, Carter wasn't the most efficient offensively, but he is a solid defender. Adding Carter would also give Boston another ball handler, which is something the team could use. At only 24 years old, he could still develop.
Looking at his career so far and playstyle, Carter does have some Derrick White to him. No, I don't think Carter will become the caliber of player White has become, but I could see Carter turning into a rotation-caliber player. Boston's development staff has done a great job in molding players, and Carter could be the next in line.
We've seen how well Boston has done developing players that they've drafted (Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman) or signed to a two-way deal (Neemias Queta and Ron Harper Jr.). Just last season, Boston signed Luka Garza, who had a career year after being more than an end-of-the-rotation player.
Not only does Boston have a great development system; they also have great mentors in place to help develop Carter. They have the aforementioned White, but they also added veteran Mike Conley during free agency. Conley and White are the perfect vets to help Carter improve his play.
Boston has multiple avenues to sign Devin Carter
Currently, Boston has one open roster spot and one two-way spot that they can fill. In the past, Boston has entered the season with 14 guys on the roster, foregoing a 15th guy on the roster. Given that it looks like Boston is looking to stay under the luxury tax, it would seem like the team will keep the roster at 14.
A path does exist, though, should Boston look to give Carter a non-guaranteed contract. By doing this, the Celtics could sign him and not have his contract count until a specific date in the season, with January 10th being the NBA deadline for turning it into a guaranteed deal. This gives the Celtics the flexibility of staying under the luxury tax while allowing the team to sign Carter.
Boston's second option would be signing the Providence alum to the final two-way spot. The Celtics have done this with Queta and Harper Jr., who both started on two-way deals before earning a guaranteed contract during the season. While I wouldn't be surprised if this is the route Boston goes, Carter could get more guaranteed offers that could be more enticing for him.
NBA training camp isn't that far off, beginning on Tuesday, September 29, meaning a decision on Carter would happen soon. So if Boston does indeed have interest in the Florida native, we should have our answer soon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google