Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game
No. 34 – Orlando Magic
PositionCenter / power forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1999-04-16) April 16, 1999 (age 24)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High schoolPace Academy
(Atlanta, Georgia)
CollegeDuke (2017–2018)
NBA draft2018: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018–2021Chicago Bulls
2021–presentOrlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA U17 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2016 Spain National team

Wendell Andre Carter Jr. (born April 16, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

High school career

Carter attended Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the class of 2017.[1] As a sophomore, he averaged 21.3 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game, and 4.1 blocks while leading the Knights to a (27–3) record and a Georgia 6AA regional title. Carter would continue to develop his game during the summer of 2015 where he led his AAU team, Georgia Stars, to a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Peach Jam championship and was named Co-MVP alongside Jared Harper.[2] after his sophomore season, Carter also earned the Georgia Region 6 AA Player of the Year and second-team Atlanta Tipoff Club All Metro-honors.

In his junior season in 2015–16, he averaged 21.6 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game. In the state finals game, Carter scored 30 points and recorded 20 rebounds to lead Pace Academy to win the 2016 Georgia class AA state Championship.[3] He was named an honorable mention All-American by the Naismith Trophy, a first-team Junior All-American by MaxPreps, the Georgia Class AA Player of the year, the Atlanta/South Fulton Player of the Year, and a first-team all-state selection as a junior.[4] In the spring and summer of 2016, Carter competed for the AAU team, Team CP3 sponsored by Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul. He averaged 16.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game on the Nike EYBL Circuit, earning second-team All-EYBL honoree.[5]

As a senior, he averaged 22.7 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 5.8 blocks while leading the Knights to a Georgia class 3A state championship on March 9, 2017.[6] Carter was named Georgia All-Classification Player of the Year, Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year, first-team All-America honors from the Naismith Trophy, second-team accolades from USA Today, and third-team recognition from MaxPreps. Carter played in the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit, and the McDonald's All-American Game, where he finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Off of the court, Carter was named the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year,[7][8] which goes to student-athletes who exemplify outstanding character, leadership, and academics. He earned a 3.8 GPA in high school and won his school's Lance and Shield Award as a top scholar-athlete.[9]

Carter was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 4 overall recruit and No. 1 power forward in the 2017 high school class.[10][11][12] Following high school, he was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in July 2017.[13] Carter ultimately chose to play at Duke University despite considering the opportunity to enroll and play at Harvard.[14]

College career

Carter played at Duke for one season.[15][16][10] On November 18, Carter scored 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 78–61 victory over Southern.[17] On November 20, Carter was named ACC rookie of the week.[18] Against the Indiana Hoosiers, he had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds despite being in foul trouble to lift Duke in a 91–81 win.[19] On December 26, 2017, Carter earned his second ACC rookie of the week honor.[20] On January 20, 2018, Carter tallied 21 points in an 81–54 victory against Pittsburgh.[21] On January 24, 2018, Carter scored 23 points and 12 rebounds in an 84–70 win over Wake Forest.[22] On February 11, 2018, Carter scored 19 points and 10 rebounds in an 80–69 victory over Georgia Tech.[23] On February 18, 2018, Carter provided 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 66–57 win against Clemson.[24] On February 21, 2018, Carter scored 18 points and 6 assist in a 82–56 win over Louisville.[25] On the season, Carter averaged 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.[26] Carter had one of the best freshman seasons for a power forward/center in Duke history where he would finish second all-time for Duke freshman with (335) rebounds, (76) blocked shots and (16) career double-doubles.

Following Duke's loss in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Carter announced his intention to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2018 NBA draft.[27] Carter was subsequently named both Second team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman teams.[28]

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2018–2021)

On June 21, 2018, Carter was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Chicago Bulls.[29] On July 3, 2018, Carter officially signed with the Bulls.[30] On October 18, he made his NBA debut, scoring eight points and recording three rebounds, three assists and a block against the Philadelphia 76ers,[31] Four days later, Carter recorded career-highs in rebounds (9) and assists (4) against the Dallas Mavericks.[32] On October 31, 2018, Carter scored a season high 25 points with eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals in a 107–108 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets.[33] He would break that amount on November 30 with 28 points scored in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. On March 24, 2019, Carter was ruled out for the remainder of the season with left thumb surgery.[34]

Orlando Magic (2021–present)

On March 25, 2021, Carter and Otto Porter were traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Nikola Vučević and Al-Farouq Aminu. Orlando also received two future first-round draft picks.[35]

On October 16, 2021, Carter signed a four-year, $50 million rookie scale extension with the Magic.[36] On March 20, 2022, Carter scored a career-high 30 points in a 90–85 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.[37]

Carter matched his career-high of 30 points in a 116–108 loss on November 1, 2022, against the Oklahoma City Thunder.[38] On December 29, he was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the Detroit Pistons the day before.[39]

National team career

Carter played with the United States U17 team at the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, where he won gold. As well, he was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with teammate Collin Sexton.[40]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Chicago 44 44 25.2 .485 .188 .795 7.0 1.8 .6 1.3 10.3
2019–20 Chicago 43 43 29.2 .534 .207 .737 9.4 1.2 .8 .8 11.3
2020–21 Chicago 32 25 24.8 .512 .364 .739 7.8 2.2 .6 .8 10.9
2020–21 Orlando 22 19 26.5 .493 .241 .721 8.8 1.6 .8 .8 11.7
2021–22 Orlando 62 61 29.9 .525 .327 .691 10.5 2.8 .6 .7 15.0
2022–23 Orlando 57 54 29.6 .525 .356 .738 8.7 2.3 .5 .6 15.2
Career 260 246 28.0 .516 .321 .733 8.8 2.1 .6 .8 12.9

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 Duke 37 37 26.8 .561 .413 .738 9.1 2.0 .8 2.1 13.5

Personal life

Wendell's father, Wendell Sr., played professional basketball in the Dominican Republic after playing college basketball at Delta State. His mother, Kylia Carter, played basketball at the University of Mississippi.[10] Carter Jr.'s parents stressed academics to him from a young age, ultimately culminating in his interest in a school like Duke University. On February 23, 2018 Carter was 1 of 25 college players identified in an FBI investigation as having received impermissible benefits as a college athlete as a result of his mother allegedly having had her lunch paid for by an agent nine months before he signed to play for Duke.[41]

References

  1. ^ "Meet the high school hoops star who could spurn Duke and Kentucky to attend Harvard". Fox Sports. August 23, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  2. ^ Kinsky, Alec (July 21, 2015). "Wendell Carter, Jared Harper share MVP honor for powerhouse Peach Jam Champs". D1 Circuit. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  3. ^ Awtrey, Stan (March 4, 2016). "Class AA boys: Pace Academy 65, Manchester 43". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "Wendell Carter – 2017–18 – Men's Basketball".
  5. ^ Borzello, Jeff (June 28, 2016). "Top-5 prospect Wendell Carter isn't all about basketball, and he doesn't care". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Young, Justin (March 4, 2017). "Pace holds the court against Liberty County". Hoopseen. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Biancardi, Paul (March 7, 2017). "Wendell Carter wins Morgan Wootten National POY award". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  8. ^ "Duke signee Wendell Carter Jr. named Morgan Wootten Player of the Year". Sports Illustrated. March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  9. ^ Spears, Marc J. (April 14, 2017). "Duke signee Wendell Carter Jr. and his parents have basketball in the blood and academics on their minds". Andscape. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c "Wendell Carter, Jr. Bio". goduke.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  11. ^ "Wendell Carter, 2017 Center - Rivals.com". n.rivals.com. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  12. ^ "Wendell Carter, Chicago Bulls, Power Forward". 247Sports. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  13. ^ "2016 Men's U17 Gold Medal Game: USA 96, Turkey 56". Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  14. ^ Spears, Marc J. (April 14, 2017). "Duke signee Wendell Carter Jr. and his parents have basketball in the blood and academics on their minds". Andscape.
  15. ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 23, 2016). "Prized power forward Wendell Carter commits to Duke". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  16. ^ Watson, John (November 23, 2016). "Five Star Big Man Wendell Carter Commits To Duke". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  17. ^ "Wendell Carter Jr scores 20 to Pace top-ranked Duke past southern". USA Today. November 18, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  18. ^ "ACC Announces Basketball Players of the Week". Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  19. ^ Alexander, Jonathan (December 8, 2017). "Duke's Wendell Carter Jr. hoping to stay out of foul trouble as Blue Devils enter conference play". The Charlotte Observer.
  20. ^ "ACC Announces Basketball Players of the Week". Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  21. ^ "No.5 Duke rolls past Pittsburgh 81–54 for 4th straight win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  22. ^ "No.4 Duke Tops Wake Forest for Fifth Straight Win". Duke Athletics. January 24, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  23. ^ "No.9 Duke Runs Past Georgia Tech, 80–69". Duke Athletics. February 11, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  24. ^ "Trent leads No.12 Duke to 66–57 win over No.11 Clemson". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  25. ^ Geisinger, Brian (February 22, 2018). "Without Marvin Bagley, Duke's Wendell Carter Flashes A Full Set Of Skills vs Louisville". ACCSports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Model, Michael (March 29, 2018). "Duke men's basketball 2017–18 player review: Wendell Carter Jr". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  27. ^ "Duke's Wendell Carter Jr. declaring for NBA draft". ESPN. April 16, 2018.
  28. ^ "ACC Announces All-Conference Team, Postseason Awards". TheACC.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  29. ^ Johnson, K.C. "Bulls take Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr. with 7th pick in NBA draft". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "Bulls sign Carter Jr. and Hutchison". NBA.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  31. ^ Hudrick, Paul (October 19, 2018). "Wendell Carter Jr. gets early lesson against Embiid, Sixers". NBC Sports Chicago.
  32. ^ "Jordan gets another double-double as Mavs top Bulls 115–109". ESPN.com. October 22, 2018.
  33. ^ "Millsap's putback gives Nuggets 108–107 win over Bulls in OT". ESPN.com. October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  34. ^ "Bulls shut down rookies Carter Jr., Hutchison". NBA.com. March 24, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  35. ^ "Magic Acquire Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and Two First Round Draft Picks From Chicago". NBA.com. March 25, 2021.
  36. ^ Orlando Magic PR [@Magic_PR] (October 16, 2021). "PRESS RELEASE: @OrlandoMagic sign center @wendellcarter34 to a contract extension #MagicTogether https://t.co/oOh1RCcrMh" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2022 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ Scanlon, Dick (March 20, 2022). "Carter, Magic hand Thunder 9th straight loss, 90-85". Associated Press. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  38. ^ "Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 help Thunder push win streak to 4". ESPN. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  39. ^ "NBA announces suspensions from Pistons-Magic game". NBA.com. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  40. ^ "USA claim fourth FIBA U17 World Championship title". FIBA.com. July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  41. ^ Alexander, Jonathan (February 23, 2018). "How Duke forward Wendell Carter's name emerged in FBI college basketball investigation". Raleigh News & Observer.

External links

Orlando Magic roster
2018 NBA draft
McDonald's Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year
Categories