Report: Hawks Acquire Devin Carter and a 2nd Round Pick From Sacramento Kings

According to multiple reports, the Atlanta Hawks are acquiring Devin Carter and a 2033 second-round pick from the Sacramento Kings. Carter, a former lottery pick out of Providence, will be entering his third season in the NBA in 2026-2027.

Sacramento is trading a 2033 second-round pick to Atlanta, per source, along with Devin Carter.

Atlanta remains active in other trade conversations, with two hours to go before a decision on Jonathan Kuminga's team option.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 29, 2026

Analyzing the move?

Devin Carter Sacramento King — Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) dribbles upcourt against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

While this has not been confirmed, Carter could fit into the $6.7 million trade exception that the team made when they did a sign-and -trade that sent Clint Capela to the Houston Rockets last offseason. Carter is set to make $5,158,080 next season and that could be how the Hawks are acquiring him. Carter also has a $7.4 million team option for 2027-2028 that the Hawks will have to decide on in October, same as former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, who was in the same draft class as Carter.

This appears to be a salary dump for the Kings, who were closer to the first apron than any team of their caliber should be.

Carter (6'2 195 LBS) was the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of Providence and coming out of college, he was regarded as a high-level defensive prospect that still needed to come into his own as an offensive guard. During his two seasons with the Kings, Carter only played in 74 games, averaging 6.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.9 APG while shooting 40% from the floor and 27% from three.

Those numbers are not going to blow you away by any means, but if Carter can remain healthy, he is going to be on a team and coaching staff that values development. Carter is going to have a better chance of succeeding in Atlanta than in Sacramento.

This is another instance of the Hawks being opportunistic and collecting an asset at a low cost. Earlier this offseason, the Hawks acquired Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a pair of second round picks and they were able to fit that into the $11 million trade exception they created from moving Luke Kennard to the Lakers.

Carter is going to join CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Kingston Flemings as the guards on the roster.

1. Jalen Johnson- $30,000,000
2. Dyson Daniels- $25,000,000
3. CJ McCollum- $21,000,000
4. Onyeka Okongwu-$16,100,000
5. Nickeil Alexander-Walker- $14,403,710
6. Corey Kispert- $13,975,000
7. Zaccharie Risacher- $13,826,040
8, Buddy Hield- $9,658,536
9. Aaron Wiggins- $9,028,038
10. Devin Carter- $5,158,080
11. Asa Newell- $3,399,480
12. Mouhamed Gueye- $2,406,205
13. Kingston Flemings- TBD
14. Zuby Ejiofor- TBD
15. Henri Veesaar- TBD

That is $163,955,089 for those top 12 players and when you figure in the rookies salaries, Atlanta is going to be operating as an over-the-cap team this offseason (salary cap is $165 million for the upcoming year).

Currently, the Hawks have 14 players on their roster on guaranteed contracts (Veesaar TBD). Atlanta also has to make a big decision on the $24.3 million team option for Jonathan Kuminga later this afternoon.

Carter is a very interesting buy-low option that gives the Hawks another interesting player at guard. McCollum, Alexander-Walker, and Daniels will all be starters (barring a big trade or other acquisition), while Flemings, Wiggins, and Carter are going to be depth pieces for the Hawks bench, which needed to be upgraded this offseason. Carter is going to get a new chance with the Hawks and will hope to make the most of it.

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