The Phoenix Suns today completed a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, acquiring guard Jevon Carter (pronounced Je-VOHN) and guard/forward Kyle Korver in exchange for forward Josh Jackson, guard De’Anthony Melton, the Suns’ 2020 second-round pick and a conditional 2021 second-round pick.
Carter, a tenacious defender at point guard, played his rookie season with the Grizzlies in 2018-19 and appeared in 39 games, including a career night in the season finale against Golden State when he scored a career-high 32 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and 8-of-12 from three-point range. His eight three-pointers tied the Grizzlies’ single-game record for a rookie. Carter also played in 22 games for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, and averaged 18.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals while shooting 43.3% from the field, 39.3% from deep and 85.1% from the free throw line.
The 6-2, 195-pound guard was originally the 32nd overall selection in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Memphis following a decorated four-year career at West Virginia University. Carter was the 2017-18 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time winner of the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards. He averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.03 steals (second in the nation) as a senior to earn Consensus All-America Second Team honors. In his four seasons, Carter helped the Mountaineers to four NCAA tournament berths and three Sweet 16 appearances, and he left Morgantown holding program records for career steals (330), single-season assists (246) and single-season steals (112).
He also excelled in the classroom, selected as the Arthur Ashe Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and Division I Senior CLASS Award winner in 2017-18. The 23-year-old is a native of Maywood, Illinois and starred at Proviso East High School before his collegiate career.