Bub Carrington Bio
Carlton Kaleel “Bub” Carrington III, born on July 21, 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland, is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6-foot-4 guard listed at 190 pounds, he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and was traded to Washington during the same draft night. He previously played one season of college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Known for his poise and all-around skill set as a young point guard, Carrington earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2025 after playing in all 82 games of his debut season. He is widely regarded as one of the promising young guards to emerge from the Baltimore high school basketball scene.
Early Life and Background
Carlton Kaleel Carrington III was born on July 21, 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Carlton “Bub” Carrington and Karima Carrington. The third in his family to share the name, he was given the nickname “lil’ bub” by family and friends after his father’s own “Bub” nickname, and the prefix was eventually dropped. Growing up in a basketball-oriented household, he was introduced to the game at a young age through his father’s coaching, which shaped his early understanding of the sport.
Carrington attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, where he was a multi-sport athlete playing basketball, baseball, and football. He was also a member of the school’s chess club, reflecting the disciplined and competitive environment of the program. He went on to score more than 2,000 points in his high school career, a milestone that established him as one of the most productive scorers in Saint Frances history.
Path to Basketball
On the AAU circuit, Carrington played for Team Melo in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), one of the country’s most visible grassroots programs. He was named the EYBL Breakout Player of the Session and earned second-team All-Session honors while helping his team reach the EYBL championships, performances that elevated his national profile.
During his senior year at Saint Frances in 2022–23, Carrington led the program to a 29–11 overall record and an 11–3 mark in the Baltimore Catholic League (BCL). He was named first-team All-BCL and to the BCL All-Tournament team, while averaging more than 26 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals per game. He also helped Saint Frances win the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) tournament for the second time in his tenure and set a school record with more than 1,000 points scored, while earning MVP honors at events such as the DTLR Classic, Jumpman Classic, R1A Classic, and MLK Classic, where he set a tournament record with 42 points. After his junior year, he committed to Pittsburgh, where he was rated a four-star recruit, the 99th-best player in the 2023 class, and the third-best player from Maryland.
Bub Carrington Career
Early Career (2023–2024)
Carrington joined the Pittsburgh Panthers for the 2023–24 season and immediately became a starter under the coaching staff. In his regular-season debut against North Carolina A&T, he recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, producing the first triple-double in a debut in school history and the second in ACC history, while also becoming the first Pittsburgh player to record a triple-double since 1998.
His early-season play was rewarded with the ACC Rookie of the Week honor, which he received in back-to-back weeks, making him the first Pittsburgh player to earn the award in consecutive weeks since 2007–08. He finished the season on the ACC All-Rookie team, establishing himself as one of the top first-year players in the conference.
NBA Breakthrough (2024–Present)
On June 26, 2024, Carrington was selected with the fourteenth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was then traded, along with Malcolm Brogdon, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Deni Avdija, and signed his rookie contract with Washington on July 7, 2024.
In his rookie campaign, Carrington was one of only 11 NBA players to appear in all 82 games, finishing with averages of 9.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. His production and durability were recognized when he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in May 2025, cementing his status as one of the top first-year players in the league.
Washington Wizards Era (2024–Present)
Wearing jersey number 7 for the Washington Wizards, Carrington plays primarily as a point guard and shooting guard in head coach Brian Keefe’s system. His rookie season was defined by his availability, as he rarely missed games and showed consistent growth as a lead guard and secondary scorer.
Entering his second professional season, Carrington was again a fixture in the lineup, joining Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016–17 as the only players in recent league history to appear in all 82 games in each of their first two NBA seasons. He finished the year averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, reflecting incremental growth in scoring and play-making while continuing to handle a steady share of the backcourt workload.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Carrington’s most notable accomplishments is his place among a small group of modern NBA players to play every game in each of his first two seasons, a tribute to his durability and the trust placed in him by the Wizards’ coaching staff. He is also recognized for becoming the first Pittsburgh Panther to record a triple-double in a debut since 1998, and for being named to the 2025 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, signaling his arrival as a long-term contributor in the league.
Bub Carrington Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Carrington is the son of Carlton “Bub” Carrington, who passed away in 2025, and Karima Carrington. His father, a basketball coach, gave him the nickname that has followed him throughout his career and helped introduce him to the game at a young age. He has two siblings, Kareem and Faith, and is a second cousin of retired NBA player Rudy Gay, a connection that ties him to one of the more versatile forwards of his generation.
2025 Season Performance
Carrington’s 2025 season marked his second year in the NBA and his first full campaign of NBA experience after his rookie year. He once again played in all 82 regular-season games, a rare feat that underscored his consistency and the Wizards’ reliance on him as a backcourt stabilizer.
He averaged 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, showing incremental growth in scoring and play-making while continuing to develop his shot selection and defensive reads. His durability and year-over-year improvement positioned him as a central figure in Washington’s long-term rebuild and a candidate for an expanded role in the seasons ahead.
