Heartbreaking: Sacramento Kings Star has passed away at 24 after facing a devastating…

Kings rookie Devin Carter (shoulder) out at least 6 months.

Sacramento rookie guard Devin Carter will miss at least six months after undergoing left shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, the Kings announced on Thursday. Carter, 22, was the 13th overall pick in last month’s NBA draft after earning Big East Player of the Year at Providence (career-high 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists) in 2023-24.

Carter played one season at South Carolina before transferring to Providence for the past two seasons. In 96 college games (73 starts), Carter averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Last weekend, the Kings obtained six-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan in a three-team sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. In the deal, Sacramento sent forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 pick swap to the Spurs. The Bulls acquired swingman Chris Duarte, a pair of second-round draft picks and cash from the Kings and two-player RaiQuan Gray from the Spurs.

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With DeMar DeRozan Signing, Sacramento Kings Double Down On Offense.

The Sacramento Kings have acquired six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade arrangement involving the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, ironically two former employers of DeRozan himself.

At large the NBA community seem split on the acquisition, almost exclusively due to Sacramento’s lack of defense. DeRozan, who averaged 25.5 points over three seasons in Chicago, is primarily known for his scoring, and not his talent of stopping others from doing the same.

It’s an odd reaction given that the rest of the Kings roster is heavily screwing offense in the first place. The team’s starting center, Domantas Sabonis, is far from an effective rim protector, which is hands down the most crucial defensive position on the floor.

He is, however, a triple-double machine (26 last season), one the league’s best passers (8.2 assists), and puts up nearly 20 points per game on near 60% shooting.

Malik Monk, who recently struck a new deal to stay in Sacramento, is also not a strong defender, preferring instead to showcase his offensive chops, evident by his 15.4 points and 5.1 assists off the bench last season.

Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox are plus-defenders, Fox moreso than Murray, but if one were to evaluate which side of the ball they fared best, not many would point to their defense.

It’s thus fair to wonder what exactly people expected the Kings to do with their big final move of the summer. Even if they were to find a defensive-minded player, exactly how big of a dent would that have made on a roster that’s heavily tailored towards offense?