Team context: Atlanta Hawks · Research cutoff: July 18, 2026.
Role and 2025-26 baseline
Carter averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 0.8 threes in 18.4 minutes across 38 games for Sacramento. He shot 41.4% FG and 71.3% FT. The low game total was driven more by role than injury. Atlanta acquired him June 30 and received a 2033 second-round pick in the deal. ESPN stats · Hawks acquisition
He competes with Kingston Flemings, Aaron Wiggins, and the two-way guards for reserve possessions; his clearest immediate route is defense.
2026-27 projection
| GP | Min | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 7 | .410 | .720 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
Base rotation allocation: 7 of Atlanta's exactly 240 minutes.
Fantasy fit and range
- Redraft: undrafted outside very deep leagues.
- Dynasty: speculative 16-team hold because the steals/rebounds profile could matter if he reaches 24 minutes.
- Floor: inactive or seven-minute defensive cameos.
- Ceiling: a 20-minute reserve role if Atlanta trades a veteran and Flemings struggles; about 9/3/3 with one steal.
- Watch: preseason ball-handling share, shooting efficiency, and whether he closes defensive matchups.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Three college seasons. South Carolina 2021-22: 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 30 games on 42.0/26.7/68.8 splits, SEC All-Freshman. Transferred to Providence for 2022-23: 13.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists in 33 starts on 42.7/29.9/72.0. Broke out in 2023-24: 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists on 47.3/37.7/74.9, Big East Player of the Year and first-team All-Big East. Draft: 2024, first round, 13th overall, Sacramento.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 22 | SAC | 36 | 11.0 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | .370 | .591 | 0.5 |
| 2025-26 | 23 | SAC | 38 | 18.4 | 8.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | .414 | .713 | 1.4 |
| Career | 74 | 14.8 | 6.4 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.6 | .401 | .674 | 1.0 |
Durability: 36 of 82 as a rookie — left shoulder surgery in July 2024 cost him the first half of the season, and he did not debut until January 3, 2025 after two G League rehab games. He then took a right shoulder contusion on March 29, 2025 that cost two more games. In 2025-26 he appeared in 38 games; a right calf deep soft-tissue contusion suffered March 10, 2026 interrupted the year, but it was treated as day-to-day, so the bulk of the missed time reads as rotation decisions rather than health.
Trajectory: Carter's per-minute scoring doubled between his rookie and second seasons and the free-throw rate improved sharply, but the jumper has not arrived — he shot 26.3% from three on 3.0 attempts in 2025-26, worse than his rookie mark, and the career figure sits at 27.4%. The bankable skills are point-of-attack defense, defensive rebounding for a guard, and secondary handling, which is a bench profile rather than a starting one. Atlanta gave up almost nothing to get him, so he arrives as depth rather than as a promised rotation piece. He becomes fantasy-relevant only if an injury or trade clears one of the guards ahead of him and the three-point percentage climbs enough to keep him on the floor in closing lineups.
Career sources: ESPN career stats · Wikipedia · Kings injury update · Hoops Rumors trade report
Open questions
- Did Atlanta acquire him as a rotation player or as inexpensive contract depth?
- Can he reach league-average three-point efficiency?
- Does the roster crunch remove a player ahead of him?