Devin Carter (illness) remains out vs. New York

Carter, who has mononucleosis, is the only Celtics player on the injury report for Tuesday’s season opener. His absence won’t affect fantasy basketball.

While it may not be a standard contract, Carter gains a little more security with the move to a two-way contract. The 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, the 6-foot-2 guard failed to carve out a consistent role for himself in Sacramento before the Kings traded him to Atlanta in late June. Carter was waived by the Hawks in mid-September, catching on with the Celtics shortly thereafter. He’s unlikely to be a factor in redraft leagues this season.

A few days after being waived by the Hawks, Carter has reportedly found a new home. The 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 three-pointers per game over two seasons with the Kings (74 total appearances). While he will be competing for a standard roster spot, Carter still has two-way contract eligibility, which opens the door for him to remain with the Celtics in some capacity.

The 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Carter could never get untracked during his two seasons in Sacramento. Due to shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-2 guard did not make his NBA debut until January 2025. Carter also missed time due to injury last season and has appeared in 74 NBA games over two seasons. He was acquired by the Hawks in late June, with Atlanta also receiving a 2033 second-round pick. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Celtics may be interested in Carter, and the franchise has a good track record of using the G League to develop players into solid contributors.

The 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Carter could never truly establish himself after shoulder surgery pushed his NBA debut back to January 2025. Appearing in 74 games over two seasons, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 14.8 minutes. And with the Kings using their lottery pick on Darius Acuff Jr., Carter was unlikely to get the opportunities needed to reach fantasy relevance. The trade to Atlanta gives him a fresh start, but it’s unlikely to change his fantasy outlook since the Hawks used their lottery pick on Kingston Flemings.

The three veterans won’t be available for Sunday’s season finale. The absences of DeRozan, Westbrook and Monk have benefited Devin Carter, Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden. That will remain the case on Sunday, with Carter coming off a 29-point effort in Friday’s win over the Warriors.

Carter has had some strong performances as a starter over the past couple of weeks, but this was his best. He set a new career high for scoring in the win, and this was his third 20-point game in his last six outings. The 2024 lottery pick struggled to find a place in Sacramento’s rotation early on, but he has played a consistent role over the past couple of months and has been effective recently. Hopefully he’ll be able to carry some of this into next season, though fantasy managers shouldn’t bank on it.

Westbrook will miss an eighth consecutive game due to right great toe injury management. The Kings will continue to rely on Devin Carter and Killian Hayes to handle the point guard responsibilities.

Monk - who was previously listed as questionable with a shoulder injury - will sit out against New Orleans due to personal reasons. In his absence, Devin Carter and Daeqwon Plowden could see additional run.

After sitting out Sunday’s loss to the Nets, Monk played 29 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors. If he’s unable to play on Friday, those minutes will be divided among multiple players, including Devin Carter and Daeqwon Plowden.