2024 NBA Draft scouting report: Devin Carter

Devin Carter has that dawg in him.

It's easy to overstate certain qualities in a prospect, but Devin Carter has the sort of winning intangibles that coaches and scouts are bound to love. He competes hard on defense and operates with ineffable spunk on offense. He was the emotional leader at Providence, not to mention a leader on the court. He led the Friars in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game at 6-foot-3.

The talented junior now looks to translate his well-rounded skill set to the NBA. It can be challenging to decipher the value of youth compared to hard-earned college experience and NBA readiness. Carter won't present the same upside as other prospects in his range, but the 2024 NBA Draft is notoriously weak. That ratchets up the appeal of a prospect with a high floor and a coachable demeanor.

Carter is going to draw all sorts of appetizing comps ahead of the draft. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer draws parallels to Bruce Brown. You can go anywhere from Josh Hart to Kyle Lowry. The players Carter most resembles are the players every NBA contender is eager to acquire. Brown was a popular trade target for a reason. Hart, Lowry — these dudes win postseason games, maybe even championships.

While undersized, Carter is incredibly crafty and endlessly hard-working. He is going to exploit every lapse in concentration from the opponent, every sliver of opportunity. As such, he is bound to rise very high on some draft boards.

Devin Carter NBA Draft bio

Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 193 pounds
Birthdate: March 18, 2002
Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard
Offensive Role: Slasher, Connector
Defensive Role: Primary On-Ball Stopper
Projected Draft Range: 9-30

NBA Draft highlights

Strengths

Devin Carter went from a productive starter to the best player in the Big East this season, and he was awarded accordingly. He's an older prospect at 22, but Carter's capacity for growth is remarkable. Most prospects get better over time, but Carter made sizable leaps in each of his three college seasons. He improved steadily as a shooter, made strides with his processing, and built on his reputation as an all-world defender.

Now Carter enters the NBA draft as a potential lottery pick. He's a fit just about anywhere. Every team needs a tough-as-nails, vocal presence, which Carter provides. His offensive skill set is highly malleable and the defense is scheme-proof. Whether he's hounding the point of attack or creating havoc as a roamer, Carter is going to disrupt the opposing offense in pronounced ways.

He's only 6-foot-3 in shoes, but Carter's wingspan measured 6-foot-9 at the Combine. That is comparable to De'Anthony Melton. He's also built strong, with the ability to guard much taller than his listed height. Carter took on the toughest defensive assignments for Providence on a nightly basis, all while carrying the offense. His effort level never wavers and his instincts are special.

There is a world in which Carter is the best perimeter defense from this draft. Perhaps it is the most probable timeline.

As for the offense, Carter led Providence in points (19.7) and assists (3.6) last season. He's not a traditional point guard, but he looked comfortable reading the floor out of pick-and-rolls and delivering advanced passes on the move. Carter lacks wiggle as a ball-handler, but he attacks the rim decisively on straight-line drives and processes the floor quickly.

After shooting below 30 percent from deep in his first two college seasons, Carter splashed 37.7 percent of his 6.8 attempts per game from 3-point range as a junior. His mechanics look all sorts of wonky, but the results are there. His shots drop gorgeously through the net, he displays soft touch on finishes around the rim, and his range is deep. NBA teams ought to believe in the jumper. If Carter can launch from several steps behind the NBA line on a regular basis, as he did at Providence last season, he's going to really test defenses.

In addition to the 3s, Carter is a savvy cutter who is constantly poking holes in the defense with his movement. Close out haphazardly or crowd him on the perimeter, and Carter will sneak backdoor for layups. His craft and touch in the lane are mighty impressive for a small guard. Carter uses every inch of that wingspan to extend for finishes and locate scoring angles.

There are no lingering concerns about Carter's athleticism either. He aced the Combine, tying for the highest vertical leap and setting a new sprint speed record. With elite agility, quickness, and vertical pop, Carter is going to squeeze every ounce out of his long-armed frame.

Weaknesses

Carter was Providence's offensive leader, for better or worse. He can set the table, work a few pick-and-rolls, and create for teammates off of drives, but Carter struggles to handle pressure. He coughs up his dribble and forces bad passes under duress. NBA teams will hope that better spacing and talent around him will correlate to fewer turnovers (2.7).

It is again worth noting that Carter was a sub-30 percent 3-point shooter in each of his first two seasons. A sharp increase in volume and efficiency is promising, but Carter's mechanics are extremely unorthodox. He shoots from his chest and needs a second to load up his shot. He took some bold pull-ups well behind the 3-point line last season, but faced with the increased length and closeout speed of NBA defenses, Carter could run into trouble.

Simply put, he needs space to get his shot off. He's not going to step into contested mid-range jumpers — he's either getting close enough for a floater, or stepping out behind the 3-point line and hoping his man sags off. Unless Carter can rework his mechanics and significantly speed up his release, that is going to impact his offensive ceiling.

Factor age into the equation, and the upside concerns mount. He's going to make an impact on defense, but Carter's offensive success is tied heavily to the shot. If he is drilling spot-up 3s, that will open driving lanes and backdoor cuts. If he falls into the league-average or below-league-average ballpark, however, Carter's instincts can only take him so far. He's not an advanced ball-handler, so defenders can operate aggressively knowing he won't blow by, create space, or get into his pull-up.

Final summary

In terms of floor, Carter is one of the best prospects on the board. He is going to defend at a high level from day one. It's rare for rookie guards to offer much resistance on that end, but there are exceptions (think Cason Wallace this season). Carter has every tool in the toolkit and the sort of insatiable appetite NBA coaches will struggle to ignore.

There are clear concerns about the offense, primarily centered on Carter's jump shot. That should not scare off contenders in need of immediate connective tissue. Carter is still going to instigate ball movement, make himself available off cuts and relocations, and hit spot-up 3s when afforded space.

Guards with Carter's defensive profile — especially that gaudy rebounding number — tend to stick around at the NBA level. So long as the offense is replacement-level good, Carter is going to stay on the floor and put together a long career. If he can meaningfully sharpen his jumper, then suddenly Carter becomes one of the most well-rounded players on the board. The touch is there, and touch is the best indicator of future shooting.

A day-one fan favorite for whichever team drafts him, Carter is the sort of funky role-playing guard that comes up large in all the right moments. He should have fans in every corner of the association.