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Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game
No. 34 – Orlando Magic
Position	Center / power forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1999-04-16) April 16, 1999 (age 25) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Georgia)
College	Duke (2017–2018)
NBA draft	2018: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career	2018–present
Career history
2018–2021	Chicago Bulls
2021–present	Orlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-ACC (2018) ACC All-Freshman Team (2018) Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year (2017) McDonald's All-American (2017)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA U17 World Cup 2016 Spain National team

Wendell Andre Carter Jr. (/wɛnˈdɛl/ wen-DEL; 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 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. 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. 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. In the spring and summer of 2016, Carter competed for the AAU team, Team CP3 sponsored by San Antonio Spurs 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.

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. 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, 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.

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. Following high school, he was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in July 2017. Carter ultimately chose to play at Duke University despite considering the opportunity to enroll and play at Harvard.

College career

Before the start of his freshman season, Carter was projected to start at power forward for the 2017-18 Blue Devils forming a frontcourt tandem with Marvin Bagley III. Carter was also named to Naismith, Robertson, and Malone preseason watch lists. On November 18, Carter scored 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 78–61 victory over Southern. On November 20, Carter was named ACC rookie of the week. 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. On December 20, 2017, Carter scored a career-high 27 points in a 104–40 blowout win against Evansville. On December 26, 2017, Carter earned his second ACC rookie of the week honor. On January 20, 2018, Carter tallied 21 points in an 81–54 victory against Pittsburgh. On January 24, 2018, Carter scored 23 points and 12 rebounds in an 84–70 win over Wake Forest. On January 29, 2018, Carter added 17 points and 7 rebounds in a 88–66 victory over Notre Dame. On February 11, 2018, Carter scored 19 points and 10 rebounds in an 80–69 victory over Georgia Tech. On February 18, 2018, Carter provided 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 66–57 win against Clemson. On February 21, 2018, Carter scored 18 points and 6 assist in a 82–56 win over Louisville. On February 24, 2018, Carter scored 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 60–44 win against Syracuse. On the season, Carter averaged 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. 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. Carter was subsequently named both Second team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman teams.

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2018–2021)

On June 21, 2018, Carter was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. On July 3, 2018, Carter officially signed with the Bulls. On October 18, he made his NBA debut, scoring eight points and recording three rebounds, three assists and a block against the Philadelphia 76ers, Four days later, Carter recorded career-highs in rebounds (9) and assists (4) against the Dallas Mavericks. 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. 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.

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.

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

2022–2023 season

Carter matched his career-high of 30 points in a 116–108 loss on November 1, 2022, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On December 11, Carter scored a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 114–97 win against the Phoenix Suns. On December 18, Carter scored 21 points and 8 rebounds in a 108–107 victory over the Chicago Bulls. 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.

2024–2025 season

On October 7, 2024, Carter and the Magic agreed to a three–year, $58.7 million contract extension.

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.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal life

Wendell's father, Wendell Sr., played professional basketball in the Dominican Republic after playing college basketball at Delta State University. His mother, Kylia Carter, played basketball at the University of Mississippi. 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.

References

1. "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
2. "Meet the high school hoops star who could spurn Duke and Kentucky to attend Harvard". Fox Sports. August 23, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
3. Kinsky, Alec (July 21, 2015). "Wendell Carter, Jared Harper share MVP honor for powerhouse Peach Jam Champs". D1 Circuit. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
4. Awtrey, Stan (March 4, 2016). "Class AA boys: Pace Academy 65, Manchester 43". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
5. "Wendell Carter – 2017–18 – Men's Basketball".
6. 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.
7. Young, Justin (March 4, 2017). "Pace holds the court against Liberty County". Hoopseen. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
8. "Duke signee Wendell Carter Jr honored for Jordan Brand Classic". USA Today High School Sports. February 2, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
9. Biancardi, Paul (March 7, 2017). "Wendell Carter wins Morgan Wootten National POY award". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
10. "Duke signee Wendell Carter Jr. named Morgan Wootten Player of the Year". Sports Illustrated. March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
11. 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.
12. "Wendell Carter, Jr. Bio". goduke.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
13. "Wendell Carter, 2017 Center - Rivals.com". n.rivals.com. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
14. "Wendell Carter, Chicago Bulls, Power Forward". 247Sports. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
15. "2016 Men's U17 Gold Medal Game: USA 96, Turkey 56". Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
16. 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.
17. Borzello, Jeff (November 23, 2016). "Prized power forward Wendell Carter commits to Duke". ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
18. Ellentuck, Matt (November 23, 2016). "5-star big man Wendell Carter Jr commits to Duke". SB Nation. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
19. Marks, Brendan (July 25, 2017). "Wendell Carter Fills and Immediate Need for Duke at Power Forward". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
20. "Two Duke Freshmen Named to Karl Malone Watch List". Duke Blue Devils. October 19, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
21. "Wendell Carter Jr scores 20 to Pace top-ranked Duke past southern". USA Today. November 18, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
22. "ACC Announces Basketball Players of the Week". Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
23. 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.
24. "Carter leads No.4 Duke to 104-40 rout of Evansville". ESPN.com. December 20, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
25. "ACC Announces Basketball Players of the Week". Atlantic Coast Conference. December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
26. "No.5 Duke rolls past Pittsburgh 81–54 for 4th straight win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
27. "No.4 Duke Tops Wake Forest for Fifth Straight Win". Duke Athletics. January 24, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
28. "Trent, No.4 Duke bounce back by routing Irish 88-66". ESPN.com. January 29, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
29. "No.9 Duke Runs Past Georgia Tech, 80–69". Duke Athletics. February 11, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
30. "Trent leads No.12 Duke to 66–57 win over No.11 Clemson". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
31. 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.
32. "Bagley returns, leads No.5 Duke past Syracuse 60-44". ESPN.com. February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
33. Model, Michael (March 29, 2018). "Duke men's basketball 2017–18 player review: Wendell Carter Jr". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
34. "Duke's Wendell Carter Jr. declaring for NBA draft". ESPN. April 16, 2018.
35. "ACC Announces All-Conference Team, Postseason Awards". TheACC.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
36. Johnson, K.C. "Bulls take Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr. with 7th pick in NBA draft". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
37. "Bulls sign Carter Jr. and Hutchison". NBA.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
38. Hudrick, Paul (October 19, 2018). "Wendell Carter Jr. gets early lesson against Embiid, Sixers". NBC Sports Chicago.
39. "Jordan gets another double-double as Mavs top Bulls 115–109". ESPN.com. October 22, 2018.
40. "Millsap's putback gives Nuggets 108–107 win over Bulls in OT". ESPN.com. October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
41. "Bulls shut down rookies Carter Jr., Hutchison". NBA.com. March 24, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
42. "Magic Acquire Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and Two First Round Draft Picks From Chicago". NBA.com. March 25, 2021.
43. Orlando 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.
44. Scanlon, Dick (March 20, 2022). "Carter, Magic hand Thunder 9th straight loss, 90-85". Associated Press. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
45. "Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 help Thunder push win streak to 4". ESPN. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
46. "Carter, Ross lead Magic to 114-97 win over Suns". ESPN.com. December 11, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
47. "Suggs nails 3, Magic beat Bulls 108-107 after blowing lead". ESPN.com. November 19, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
48. "NBA announces suspensions from Pistons-Magic game". NBA.com. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
49. "Magic, Wendell Carter Jr. agree on 3-year, $59 million extension". espn.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
50. "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.
51. "Wendell Carter – 2017-18 Men's Basketball Roster – Duke Athletics". Duke Blue Devils. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
52. Alexander, Jonathan (February 23, 2018). "How Duke forward Wendell Carter's name emerged in FBI college basketball investigation". Raleigh News & Observer.

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
• Duke Blue Devils bio
• 247 Sports bio

• 1999 births
• Living people
• American men's basketball players
• Basketball players from Atlanta
• Centers (basketball)
• Chicago Bulls draft picks
• Chicago Bulls players
• Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players
• McDonald's High School All-Americans
• Orlando Magic players
• Pace Academy alumni
• Power forwards
• 21st-century American sportsmen