The Miami Heat have spent the offseason waiting for the right move to present itself, and Devin Carter might be the kind of gamble that fits their style. After being waived by the Atlanta Hawks, the former lottery pick suddenly looks like a possible answer for a team that still has one roster spot to sort out before the season begins.
Carter brings the kind of profile that tends to catch Miami’s eye: young, talented, and in need of a reset. His first two seasons in Sacramento were uneven, but the upside never really disappeared. The Heat have made a habit of taking in players who need a fresh start, and Carter’s situation feels a lot like that sort of opportunity.
There is some natural appeal here. Carter has shown flashes in his brief NBA run, and he just finished a season in which he played 38 games and averaged nine points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 41 percent from the field. That production alone makes him look like someone worth keeping in the mix.
Still, the reasons he was cut are part of the equation too. Carter has dealt with availability issues and inconsistency from the outside, and Atlanta simply didn’t have a path for him with its backcourt already crowded. The Hawks weren’t in a place to wait on development, which is exactly why he’s available now.
That’s where Miami comes in. The Heat have long valued the ability to uncover useful players others have passed on, and Carter fits that mold if Erik Spoelstra and the front office believe they can unlock more from him. The comparison to Davion Mitchell is hard to miss, especially given the way both players have had to deal with life after Sacramento.
The wrinkle is timing. Miami is also trying to build around Giannis, which makes every roster decision matter a little more. Using the 15th spot on a player who may need months, or even a year, before he becomes reliable is not a small call.
Even so, Carter does look like the sort of combo guard the Heat could use in their supporting cast. The real question is whether he can help soon enough to justify the move, or whether Miami is better off passing on a project that still comes with plenty of uncertainty.
He may not be Klay Thompson, but he could be a prototypical piece that the Heat may have been waiting to wiggle free.
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