Devin Carter will wear No. 99 for the Boston Celtics. Only seven players have worn that number for the NBA's original monarchy. None of them were guards.
The group includes Tacko Fall, Jae Crowder, Roy Rogers, Darko Milicic, and Justin Champagnie. The other two individuals who donned that number for Boston did so last season: Chris Boucher and Charles Bassey.
Others may have sported it for the Celtics at training camp. But if they didn't make the roster, their time in double nines got lost in the shuffle and never became official.
Will Devin Carter become the first Celtics guard to wear No. 99?
The former lottery pick is in Boston on an Exhibit 10 deal. However, there's a reason why he chose that opportunity. He's in one of the best places to elevate his career trajectory.
It's a franchise with an elite player development program. That includes an extended track record of helping shooters improve. The list features Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. If Summer League was any indication, Dillon Mitchell will add his name to that group.
If the former Providence star becomes a reliable three-point threat, he could blossom into a rotation player. In the meantime, he is still working with an intriguing foundation.
Carter is a possession maxxer. He produced nearly 2.0 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes in each of his first two years in the NBA. Even at this level, his athleticism stands out. His effort and energy are two of his defining traits. He's a dogged defender who forces steals, draws charges, and will blitz unsuspecting ball handlers when he's close enough to strike.
His contractual arrangement means he could meet the same fate as anyone whose time in this number never extended to the regular season. However, in this author's opinion, Carter is the favorite to earn the team's final two-way contract and become the eighth player and first guard to wear No. 99 for the Celtics.
Milos Uzan could claim Devin Carter's spot in a rarer Celtics jersey
If Carter doesn't earn Boston's final two-way deal, the best bet is that it goes to Milos Uzan.
Both are 24-year-old guards. Uzan is six-foot-four, giving him two inches on his counterpart. The former Houston Cougar is also a much better shooter.
Uzan's a smart player, a turnover suppressor, and an effective defender. Carter's the favorite in this roster battle. However, if it goes to the former, then, for only the fifth time in franchise history, the Celtics will have someone sporting No. 29. The last person to do so was Pervis Ellison. He did so from 1995 to 2000.
So, whether it's a rare jersey number or the first time a guard has worn No. 99 in Boston, someone taking the floor in digits hardly ever seen with the Celtics seems likely.
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