Devin Carter’s Late Rise Makes Him an Option for the Spurs
Devin Carter could be drafted in the lottery by the Spurs (Photo via Twitter)
With the 2024 NBA Draft just days away, Devin Carter appears to be one of the late risers. He has reportedly been great in workouts for teams around the league. According to multiple sources, the San Antonio Spurs were highly impressed with what they saw from Carter when they brought him in for a workout.
A junior guard out of Providence, Devin is the son of former Spurs point guard Anthony Carter. In the latest Spurs Big Board, he was in the eighth spot. Considering that San Antonio has the No. 4 and No. 8 selections in the draft, he’ll surely be in the mix when it comes time for the Spurs to make their two picks in the lottery.
The Case For the Spurs Drafting Devin Carter
Carter appears to be ready for the NBA right now. It’s very easy to imagine him playing a key role for a winning team as soon as his rookie season.
Carter’s primary gift is his athleticism. He tested out as the best athlete at the combine this year. In fact, he’s one of the best athletes who have ever been tested at the combine. He’s fast in a straight line, he’s quick side-to-side and he can jump out of the building.
When playing the sport, his athleticism is most obvious on the defensive end of the court. Carter is a great point of attack defender. At about 6-foot-3-in-shoes with a wingspan of 6-foot-9, he has enough length and strength to survive against bigger players. Carter’s intelligence is very apparent when off the ball, as he routinely diagnoses and blows up plays on the fly.
There’s plenty of tangible evidence of Carter’s defense. He blocks shots at an absurd rate, he steals the ball frequently and he’s a monstrous rebounder. Even though he’s a small-ish guard, he has the defensive counting stats of a dominant rim-protecting center.
Offensively, Carter took big steps in each of his three seasons at Providence. Last season, his three-point shooting came around. His volume was high and he nailed 37.7% of his threes even though he launched a lot of difficult shots from deep.
As a junior, Carter also got a lot better at finishing at the rim. He exhibited more patience and got to the free throw line more than five times per game.
Overall, Carter is a tough, gritty competitor who plays a smart brand of basketball. Add in his elite athleticism, his length and his improving shooting and there’s a lot to like.
The Case Against the Spurs Drafting Devin Carter
Carter is 22 years old so it’s difficult to compare him with the teenagers in this draft. He got a lot better at Providence but was barely an NBA prospect prior to his breakout junior campaign.
Even though he’s only 6-foot-3, he’s not really a point guard. His ball-handling is rudimentary. He’s not much of a passer and doesn’t qualify as a legitimate playmaker. He can handle point guard duties in a pinch but there’s not much evidence that point guard will be his long-term position.
Defensively, he’s really good — but he’s also only 6-foot-3. He’s long but there are times where his lack of height will hurt him. For example, big wings will probably give him trouble.
Offensively, his shooting isn’t completely proven. He was a sub-30% three-point shooter in his first two seasons at Providence and shot 74.9% at the free throw line as a junior. His shooting stroke is awkward. Carter starts it low, ends it with a lot of arc and there’s a hitch somewhere in the middle. There’s a chance his shot doesn’t translate to the NBA due to being too slow.
(One of the first scouting reports I ever wrote was about his dad. Anthony Carter was a similar player at Hawaii — down to the intense defense and the great rebounding for his size. Interestingly, dad had a weird looking shot but he too was a decent shooter at the college level. But once he hit the NBA, he could no longer make threes. Now, it’s not fair to hold the basketball sins of the father against the son but it might be worth noting.)
All in all, while Carter looks to be NBA ready, it doesn’t look like he has a high ceiling. He’s going to make winning plays, he’s going to compete and his athleticism is going to create excitement on both ends. But it’s safe to say Carter isn’t going to become a go-to scorer or playmaker. Drafting a 6-foot-3 guard in the lottery without creation upside is a bit of a tough pill to swallow.
Devin Carter’s Fit on the Spurs
In the short-term, Carter isn’t the cleanest fit. You don’t want him playing next to Tre Jones because that backcourt is too short. Thus, he’s likely a backup guard early in his career.
The hope would be that Carter eventually starts in place of Jones. That could happen but the Spurs would need other playmaking sources in the starting lineup. The best case scenario would be to start him next to a big point guard.
Is Carter a player you want to be starting next to Victor Wembanyama? With the right surrounding pieces, I think so.
Final Thoughts on the Spurs Drafting Devin Carter
Carter is an okay pick at No. 8. He has limitations and it makes the team building plans going forward a bit more complicated … but Carter has all the markings of a winner. If his shooting is for real, the rest of what he brings to the table — particularly defensively — is what you want in the league today.
This year’s draft doesn’t have many players who have clear paths to becoming impactful playoff performers. Carter is one of just a handful. That may be enough to sway the Spurs.