The Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings swapped roster pieces ahead of free agency, and the deal makes sense for reasons that are a little different for each team.
The Hawks picked up Devin Carter and a second-round pick from the Kings. Carter, the 13th pick in the 2024 draft, hasn’t exactly set the league on fire yet. But his second season showed some real growth. He averaged 8.9 points in 38 games this past year. His three-point shooting is still a work in progress, but he gets to the rim and plays defense in a way that Atlanta clearly values.
For the Hawks, this is a low-risk flier. Carter makes just $5.1 million next season with a team option on Year 4. That’s not going to mess with their cap situation one way or another. And sneaking a second-round pick out of the deal suggests the Kings were motivated to move him.
So what’s the Kings’ side of this? They just drafted Darius Acuff Jr., and their guard room was getting crowded. Malik Monk, Nique Clifford, Carter — something had to give. Monk has been in trade rumors before but kept producing, so Carter became the odd man out.
Sacramento was looking at being over the first apron, which isn’t a great spot for a team that hasn’t made real noise in a while. Moving Carter’s salary helps them breathe a little. This feels like the first domino in a longer offseason for the Kings.
Is Carter going to turn into a star? Probably not. But the Hawks didn’t pay like he needs to be one. They added a young guard who can defend and attack the basket, and they picked up a future pick while doing it. That’s a solid afternoon’s work.
For the Kings, this is about flexibility. They cleared a roster spot and some cap room, and they gave themselves more room to make other moves. Sometimes a trade isn’t about winning the deal on paper. It’s about making the next move possible.
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