Mar 29, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Boston Celtics signed Devin Carter to an Exhibit 10 contract on Monday, essentially giving him a tryout with the team for a two-way deal, a guaranteed spot, or a cut-and-stash with the G League Maine Celtics. Here’s what you need to know about the signing.
Why you should care
He’s a former lottery pick, going 13th to Sacramento in the 2024 draft. He’s 24 years old, so he’s not yet in his prime, and not that far removed from a successful college career that saw him win Big East Player of the Year. He’s a defensive menace who rebounds well for a 6-foot-2 guard.
Why he was available
He can’t shoot. He averaged nine points per game over 38 appearances (12 starts) last season, but just 26.3% shooting from deep. This came after a 29.5% three-point shooting season his rookie season.
Why Boston signed him
It’s a classic Brad Stevens move: Find someone with a great NBA skill and try to fix the deficiency. They did it with Lamar Stevens, Jaden Springer, and Josh Minott. They're trying it again with Carter, who has NBA-level defensive skills and a tenacious motor. He also has a chip on his shoulder that should appeal to Joe Mazzulla’s base instincts.
Definitely an acquired taste thing but I'm big on mentality so I loved this from Devin Carter
Draymond stiff arms him and moves with the screen but it doesn't get called
Next play he runs right through Draymond. I'm sure Mazzulla would get fired up pic.twitter.com/QuMnUtXMsj
— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) September 15, 2026
I have personally advocated for the Celtics to add an irritant to the roster, and Carter certainly fits the bill. In a best-case scenario, he’s an energy guy who can be unleashed in the middle of a sleepy start to a game. He also had a 20.9% assist rate, merely 1.3% off Derrick White, albeit in a much smaller sample size. Still, it shows he can see the floor.
The plan is to see if he can carry over his competitiveness in a higher-level system while figuring out what’s holding him back shooting-wise. Boston’s developmental system is one of the best in the business, so they feel confident that if there's a thing to be found and fixed in a broken jumper, they can do it.
It’s going to be a tough road, though.
Free throw shooting is generally a good indicator of whether a busted jumpshot can be fixed. Carter is shooting 67.4% from the line over two limited seasons, topping out at 71.3% last year. He shot 79.5% in college, which is better but still not where you want a guard to be.
The likely outcome
Boston has both a two-way and guaranteed roster spot available. With the team $1.7 million below the luxury tax, Carter would have to vastly outplay someone to make the guaranteed roster. If he does, there's nothing stopping Boston from trading an end-of-bench guy away for nothing more than a draft pick so they can still dodge the tax.
Boston will not finish the season over the tax line just to keep Carter on the roster.
The most likely path is a two-way deal that gives Carter the best of both worlds. The Celtics could use a little extra ball-handling help, so having him on the two-way might help alleviate some of that pressure. But being on the two-way also would give him plenty of G League time to work on fixing the jump shot.
In Conclusion
We can compile a lot of clips into a fun YouTube video for guys like Carter and feel like there's a definite NBA player in there somewhere. Fringe guys like him are still among the best basketball players in the world, so they will do impressive things from time to time.
So on one hand, a sad sack team like Sacramento cutting him is indicative of just how deep his deficiencies run. On the other hand, teams like the Kings don’t get called “sad sack” because they operate at the highest levels.
There is reason to think the Celtics got a steal in Carter. The last time the Celtics signed a Kings castoff, Neemias Queta developed into a legitimate NBA starter. But there's also reason to think he can end up as one of the forgotten guys with promise like Mfiondu Kabengele.
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