In a two-year span, Devin Carter went from a former lottery pick to a training camp deal. Typically, when something like this happens, teams roll the dice on Carter and offer him a new deal to take a flyer. That's technically what the Boston Celtics did, but signing him to as low-cost a deal as it gets is pretty telling. In other words, did Carter not get better offers?
Per NBA Insider Marc Stein, it wasn't about the money for Carter. It was about taking the best chance at resurrecting his career, and he believed Boston would give it to him.
"Word is Carter, who was selected No. 13 overall by Sacramento in 2024 and still has one fully guaranteed season left on his original rookie deal, prioritized the optimal situation over contractual terms in his search for a new team and will try now to jumpstart his career now with the Celtics."
Wow.
Carter is betting on himself big time by doing this because, despite his talent, it's not guaranteed he'll make the team. Lonnie Walker signed to a similar deal two years prior, impressed the Celtics, and it still wasn't enough to get him on the team.
However, Carter's reasoning is sound here because Boston's recent track record speaks for itself and hence shows their rare appeal: they get the most out of the least likely of players.
Celtics keep maxing out the least likely of players
Question: Before last season, how many Celtics fans actually knew who Luka Garza, Josh Minott, or Ron Harper Jr. were? Or, more specifically, how many were familiar with their game? They were barely known in the NBA, but once they all got their shots in Boston, a lot of people now know their names, and they will probably be in the NBA for a long time.
That gives the Celtics a rare appeal because they have proven that they can bring the most out of players you wouldn't expect, and before you know it, they are suddenly on long-term, eight-figure deals, like Luke Kornet did last summer.
We should specifically single out Harper because of his journey last season. He also started his tenure with the Celtics on a training camp deal, then worked his way up impressively enough to start in Game 7 against Philadelphia. Boston getting that kind of production out of Harper likely caught Carter's eye, as Carter could follow a similar path in Boston if all breaks right.
There's no guarantee this gamble will pay off for Carter, but it is telling that former lottery picks like him aren't just joining Boston to salvage their careers, but they are willing to work from Ground Zero to make that happen. It shows how appealing the Celtics are to players who want to make it in this league.
It also sounds like he's confident the Celtics will elevate him to a new level. Based on their track record, that's a pretty safe bet.
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