The Sacramento Kings are kicking off a six-game road trip against the Orlando Magic on Saturday afternoon, but things are not going as planned.
The Kings immediately dug themselves a hole, losing the first quarter 38-21 and then were obliterated in the third quarter 37-20, never really giving themselves a chance.
Of course, the Kings are not clawing back from this one, entering the fourth quarter down by 32, and things only got worse for Sacramento. Standout rookie guard Devin Carter left Saturday's game with a shoulder injury with just two minutes left in the first half, and has since been ruled out for the remainder of the game.
From Kings:
INJURY UPDATE vs. Orlando Magic 3/29 Devin Carter (Right Shoulder) - WILL NOT RETURN
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) March 29, 2025
The Kings drafted Carter 13th overall in last summer's draft, and just a couple of weeks later, the lottery selection underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. This surgery sidelined Carter until January, and now, on Saturday, the rookie suffered another shoulder injury.
Luckily, Carter did not re-injure the same shoulder as before, but it is still a major concern. Carter is averaging 4.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in just 10.2 minutes per game this season, and he has not been able to find a consistent role in Sacramento's system yet.
Devin Carter heads to the Kings’ locker room after appearing to injure his shoulder on this play pic.twitter.com/M4vUMJNw88
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 29, 2025
The 23-year-old out of Providence has a very high ceiling as a two-way guard in this league, especially if he finds his rhythm on the offensive side of the floor. If there is any chance of re-injury, the Kings could shut down Carter for the remainder of the season, as that would be the last thing they need at this point.
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