Devin

Carter

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.

DeRozan and Monk will return after both players sat out Sunday’s matchup with the Nets. Nique Clifford and Devin Carter could see their roles reduced with DeRozan and Monk back in action.

Carter has started Sacramento’s four games, with his performance on Sunday being the best of the bunch. In addition to the good percentages, the second-year guard put up good numbers in the rebound, assist and three-point categories. Given where the Kings are in the standings, Carter should continue to figure prominently in the rotation. Carter isn’t a must-add player, but he may be worth a look for the back end of Week 23.

Hayes had to exit Thursday’s loss to the Magic during the first half after injuring the fifth finger on his left hand. The good news is that he’s questionable for Saturday, which indicates the injury is not serious. If available, Hayes will likely slot in as Devin Carter’s backup.

Hayes injured his left fifth finger during the first half of Thursday’s game and has since been ruled out for the rest of the night. The Spurs will lean heavily on Devin Carter and Malik Monk to close out the game.