Sacramento Kings rule rookie guard Devin Carter out for California Classic due to injury
The Sacramento Kings have ruled rookie first-round draft pick Devin Carter out for the upcoming California Classic due to a left shoulder injury.
A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have decided to hold Carter out of summer league competition as the team continues its medical evaluation of his injury. Carter will also miss the Las Vegas Summer League July 12-22.
The Kings and Golden State Warriors are partnering to host an expanded dual-site California Classic. Games will be played Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento with additional games scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The games in Sacramento will feature the Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and Chinese national team. The games in San Francisco will feature the Kings, Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
The winner of Wednesday’s game between the Kings and Warriors at Chase Center – the inaugural Battle of NorCal – will be awarded the first Mitch Richmond Trophy. The trophy is named in honor of the Hall of Fame player who spent 10 of his 14 NBA seasons with the Kings and Warriors.
The Kings selected Carter out of Providence with the No. 13 pick in last week’s NBA draft. The 22-year-old guard is 6-foot-3 ½ with a 6-8 ¾ wingspan and a reputation for defense. He was named Big East Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range on 6.9 attempts per game.
On the night of the draft, Kings general manager Monte McNair acknowledged that Carter was dealing with an unspecified shoulder injury. On Tuesday, McNair said Carter would meet with the team’s medical staff this week to determine “the best course of action.”
McNair said Carter’s status for summer league was still uncertain, but “long term we’re very positive about Devin’s outlook.”
Carter told The Bee he injured his shoulder during a workout before the draft but provided few additional details.
“Just playing basketball,” he said. “Just an accident.”
Asked if he’s experiencing pain or discomfort, Carter said: “I’m feeling fine. I just want to get the team doctor’s opinion and go from there. I’d love to play in the summer league, but we don’t know any specifics on it yet.”
