Sacramento Kings trade former lottery pick to Atlanta Hawks. Here’s why
Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry has vowed to slash his team’s exorbitant payroll to get below the luxury tax threshold.
The Kings took a step in that direction in a cost-cutting move Monday. A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings traded former lottery pick Devin Carter and a second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks for salary cap relief, confirming a report from ESPN.
Sacramento will save $5.158 million for the 2026-27 season. The Kings are now about $11 million over the luxury tax line, $8 million over the first apron and $5.1 million under the second apron. They can avoid the luxury tax if they waive and stretch DeMar DeRozan, whose $25.7 million contract is only guaranteed for $10 million.
Getting below the luxury tax line would allow Sacramento to utilize the $15.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, part of which could be used to re-sign free agent forward Precious Achiuwa. The Kings would also avoid crippling apron penalties, which limit the spending tools a team can use to build its roster.
Carter, 24, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings after coming out of Providence as the 13th pick in the 2024 NBA draft. There were high hopes for the 2024 Big East Conference Player of the Year when former general manager Monte McNair drafted Carter, but his growth was stunted by a shoulder injury and a logjam in Sacramento’s backcourt.
Carter, a 6-foot-2 guard, appeared in 36 games as a rookie after recovering from shoulder surgery, averaging 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 38 games last season, shooting 41.4% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range.
