The 76ers will not have a lot of complaints about their roster, but if there is one area where they still nitpick about, it is their relative lack of perimeter stoppers, especially in the backcourt. As such, it feels like a missed opportunity that they were not even in play for Devin Carter, who has just been picked up by the Boston Celtics in the open market to shore up their guard rotation for next season.
Given their cap situation, the 76ers would have had to part ways with one player currently under contract to make room for Carter, but the front office obviously decided against that proposition, given that they did not even actively pursue Carter despite their apparent need for someone of his ilk. Instead, it is now their biggest rivals who will enjoy his services and unexplored promise from his short stint with the Kings.
Devin Carter would have been a good fit for the 76ers as depth insurance
Carter, the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was unquestionably underutilized in Sacramento. Injuries played a part in that respect, but he averaged just 14.8 minutes per outing over two seasons with the Kings, which confounded a lot of people by giving their veteran commodities more run than their younger prospects.
This past season, Carter showed glimpses of being a pesky, defensive-minded guard who can do other things on the hardwood. In just a hair over 18 minutes a night, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Admittedly, though, he did struggle with his shot, as he drained just 41.4 percent of his shots and 26.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
His shooting struggles aside, there is a lot to like about Carter and his hypothetical fit with the 76ers. Philadelphia needed a backcourt piece with real defensive acuity off the bench, and Carter brings exactly that while also being a spry source of intangibles, guard rebounding, and secondary playmaking.
Now, he gets to showcase his gifts to a Celtics squad that has a track record of developing players with his skill set. Derrick White came to Boston with largely the same profile. If he makes it to their opening-night roster, Carter could easily end up being a vital piece to their attack.
For now, the 76ers are still unable to fill out their roster. As such, they have no choice but to wait for their turn and work with what they currently have on deck, which is definitely not a depleted one by all means.
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