No NBA team picked either former Maryland forward Robert Carter Jr. or guard Rasheed Sulaimon in the league’s draft on Thursday night.
Some had projected Carter to be a second-round pick, though it isn’t a total surprise that he was not picked. Sulaimon had not been showing up in mock drafts and was always figured to be a likely undrafted free agent. For both players, there’s some benefit to not being picked at all rather than going late in the 60-player draft. Now, they’ll get to pick their own landing spots and, in theory, the best shots at success.
Carter transferred from Georgia Tech after two seasons and spent just one season playing for Maryland, sitting out another due to NCAA transfer rules. He was able to show off his versatility with the Terps, stretching the floor out to the three-point line and flashing developed post moves.
He surprised many when he decided to leave College Park with one year of eligibility remaining, but Carter played his way into a legitimate second-round pick after strong showings at the draft combine and in team workouts. Carter is the type of stretch big that the league is looking for nowadays, able to post up, run and shoot. His versatility is his strength.
In his one season at Maryland, Carter scored 12.3 points and grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game. He had some defensive limitations, but he was still the team's best rebounder and one of its most consistent performers. If Carter can bring a similar brand of play to the NBA, there's little doubt he'll find a way to stick for a while.
Sulaimon was also a transfer, playing his one season at Maryland after coming aboard from Duke as a graduate transfer. He teamed with Melo Trimble to form a sometimes dynamic backcourt, although the duo didn’t find the consistency Maryland would’ve preferred. Sulaimon was a five-star recruit in the class of 2012.