After trading away franchise point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal, the Sacramento Kings have trotted out a solid, star-stuffed lineup, although they lack a true point guard to run the show.
They signed veteran Markelle Fultz, but he has rarely played meaningful minutes. Rookie Devin Carter finally made his NBA debut in January and has gotten off to a rocky start, and he often shared the bench with Fultz, rarely seeing any playing time.
Since Fultz was signed, the rookie is outplaying the former first overall pick, although neither hs been given a chance to get the keys to the offense. As the Kings look to build long-standing success, they will either have to invest in Carter or look elsewhere to find a starting-quality point guard.
"Interim coach Doug Christie seems ready to let Carter figure it out rather than lean on free agent addition Markelle Fultz, the first pick of the 2017 draft," wrote *The Athletic's*Law Murray.
While Carter has played more, the difference is negligible.
Fultz and Carter's Stats Since Feb. 21
Player MPG PPG APG FG% 3PT%
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Devin Carter 9.0 4.4 1.0 61.1% 50%
Markelle Fultz 7.3 2.4 0.8 38.7% 25.0%
With Fultz, you know what you're getting and the Kings will need to replace him this offseason. Carter has shown flashes, especially as a defender and shooter, but the sample size is too small to make a definitive statement.
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The Kings, long-term, can't continue to trot out Malik Monk at point guard. He does his best with a true facilitator playing next to him, and the Kings need to decide who that might be.
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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM.