Jevon Carter Bio
Leroy Jevon Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6-foot, 190-pound point guard from Maywood, Illinois, built his reputation as one of the fiercest perimeter defenders in college basketball during four seasons at West Virginia University, where he helped define the high-pressure “Press Virginia” defensive scheme. Selected 32nd overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2018 NBA Draft, Carter has carved out a steady pro career as a defense-first combo guard, suiting up for the Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls before joining the Orlando Magic in February 2026.
Across more than seven NBA seasons, Carter has appeared in the 2021 NBA Finals with Phoenix, set multiple career highs with the Bucks, and continued to be valued as a reliable ball-hawk and shooter off the bench. His pro journey reflects a player who turned elite college defense and toughness into a long professional career.
Early Life and Background
Leroy Jevon Carter was born on September 14, 1995, in Maywood, Illinois, a suburb just outside Chicago. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, where he starred on the basketball court. During his high school years, Carter played mostly off the ball, showcasing his versatility as a scorer and defender before moving to a full-time lead-guard role at the next level.
Outside of high school basketball, Carter competed in AAU basketball for Team NLP from 2011 to 2012. One of his teammates during that stretch was Jalen Brunson, who would later become an NBA All-Star and NBA champion. Carter was rated as a three-star recruit and was the No. 299 player in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.com. He received scholarship offers from Akron, Dartmouth, Kent State, Lehigh, Toledo, Valparaiso, UW-Green Bay, and Illinois State before committing to West Virginia.
Path to Basketball
At West Virginia, Carter converted from an off-ball scorer into the Mountaineers’ primary point guard, a transition that shaped the rest of his career. He became one of the central architects of “Press Virginia,” the signature full-court defensive scheme employed by longtime head coach Bob Huggins. That identity-defining system forced turnovers at a high rate and made Carter a national name as a perimeter defender.
Carter became a starter as a sophomore and posted averages of 9.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. The combination of his scoring growth and elite ball pressure caught the attention of NBA scouts, and by the end of his junior year, Carter was being mentioned among the best defensive guards in college basketball. His decision to return for his senior season, despite briefly declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft, allowed him to add playmaking polish and cement his legacy as one of the greatest defenders in West Virginia history.
Jevon Carter Career
West Virginia Mountaineers (2014–2018)
Over four seasons in Morgantown, Carter developed from a role player into a senior leader and award-winning defender. As a junior in 2016–17, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and the Lefty Driesell Award. He briefly declared for the 2017 NBA Draft but withdrew and returned to school.
In his senior season of 2017–18, Carter was unanimously named to the preseason All-Big 12 team and added several milestones to his résumé. On November 30, 2017, he became West Virginia’s all-time leader in steals, surpassing Greg Jones’ mark of 252 during a win over NJIT. On March 3, 2018, against Iowa State, he became the first major-conference player in NCAA history to reach 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 steals in a career.
Senior Season Accolades (2017–18)
Carter’s senior year brought a flood of national recognition. He was named a consensus second-team All-American after selections by the Associated Press (second team), Sporting News (second team), and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (third team). He was also added to the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team.
Off the court, Carter won the Senior CLASS Award, given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in men’s basketball, and was named Academic All-American of the Year for Division I men’s basketball. Defensively, he repeated as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and Lefty Driesell Award winner, while also claiming the inaugural Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. He became the first player ever to win the Lefty Driesell Award more than once.
Memphis Grizzlies (2018–2019)
On June 21, 2018, Carter was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft with the 32nd overall pick, and he officially signed with Memphis on July 12, 2018. During his rookie season, the Grizzlies assigned him multiple times to the Memphis Hustle, their NBA G League affiliate, to give him extra playing time and development opportunities.
Carter made his NBA debut on December 15, 2018, coming off the bench in a 97–105 loss to the Houston Rockets and finishing with 11 points, two steals, a rebound, and a block. He later peaked as a rookie on April 10, 2019, scoring a then-career-high 32 points along with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a 132–117 win over the Golden State Warriors. On July 7, 2019, Memphis traded Carter to the Phoenix Suns.
Phoenix Suns (2019–2021)
Carter spent two seasons in Phoenix, where he established himself as a dependable perimeter defender and shooter. On August 8, 2020, in the NBA Bubble in Orlando, he scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range, in a 119–112 win over the Miami Heat. On November 21, 2020, he signed a three-year, $11.5 million contract to remain with the Suns as a restricted free agent.
The 2020–21 season represented the high point of Carter’s time in Phoenix. He helped the Suns reach the 2021 NBA Finals, although Phoenix was ultimately defeated in six games by the Milwaukee Bucks. On August 6, 2021, Carter was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with the draft rights to Day’Ron Sharpe in exchange for Landry Shamet, closing out his Suns tenure.
Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)
Carter appeared in 50 games for Brooklyn during the first half of the 2021–22 season, serving as a defensive reserve on a star-studded roster. On February 22, 2022, he was waived by the Nets when the team signed veteran guard Goran Dragić, ending a short but active stint in Brooklyn.
Milwaukee Bucks (2022–2023)
On February 24, 2022, Carter signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. In his first start for Milwaukee on April 1, 2022, he scored 18 points and dished out a season-high eight assists. On July 6, 2022, he re-signed with the Bucks on a two-year, $4.3 million contract that included a player option for the second year.
On November 9, 2022, Carter produced the best individual performance of his NBA career to that point, scoring 36 points and adding 12 assists in a 136–132 double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He set new career highs in both scoring and assists during that contest, reinforcing his value as a microwave scorer and playmaker off the bench.
Chicago Bulls (2023–2026)
On July 10, 2023, Carter signed a three-year, $20 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. The deal reflected his growing reputation as a veteran defensive guard and reliable locker-room presence. He spent parts of three seasons in Chicago, contributing as a rotation player and occasional starter.
Carter was waived by the Bulls on February 1, 2026, ending his three-year run with the franchise. In total, his time in Chicago provided stability and another long-term contract before the roster reshuffling that followed the 2024–25 season.
Orlando Magic (2026–present)
On February 6, 2026, Carter signed with the Orlando Magic for the remainder of the 2025–26 NBA season, after Orlando traded Tyus Jones and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for cash considerations. The move gave Carter an opportunity to join a young, playoff-contending Magic team that values his defensive intensity and shooting off the bench.
Driving Style and Strengths
Carter’s game has always been built on defense, toughness, and energy. He excels at pressuring opposing ball-handlers full court, fighting through screens, and generating steals, all of the trademarks that made him a star at West Virginia. Offensively, he has developed into a reliable three-point shooter and a connective playmaker who can set up teammates when defenses collapse on him.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Carter’s signature moments are his 32-point effort as a rookie against the Golden State Warriors, his 2021 NBA Finals run with the Phoenix Suns, his 36-point, 12-assist double-overtime outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022, and his place in NCAA history as the first major-conference player to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 steals.
Jevon Carter Career Wins
Carter’s win totals are most notable at the college level, where he helped lead West Virginia to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and earned four consecutive Big 12 All-Defensive team selections from 2015 through 2018. In the NBA, his most prominent team success came with the 2021 Phoenix Suns, who reached the NBA Finals before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
West Virginia Mountaineers Highlights
As a Mountaineer, Carter was a four-year starter and the engine of one of the most disruptive defenses in college basketball. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior, second-team All-Big 12 as a junior, two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards, and four straight Big 12 All-Defensive team nods, while also setting West Virginia’s all-time steals record.
Other Performances
In the NBA G League with the Memphis Hustle, Carter gained valuable experience and continued to sharpen his offensive game before becoming a rotation regular in the NBA. Across his professional career, his most consistent stretches came in Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Chicago, where he was trusted with playoff minutes and important defensive assignments.
Jevon Carter Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Carter’s immediate family is limited, with no widely verified details about his parents or siblings in available sources.
Personal Life
Carter has not publicly confirmed a spouse, and no public details about a marriage partner or children are widely reported. He continues to be known primarily for his basketball career and his reputation as one of the NBA’s hardest-working perimeter defenders.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2024–25 NBA season, Carter served as a veteran presence in the Chicago Bulls backcourt, providing defensive intensity and outside shooting off the bench. While the Bulls remained in a transitional phase, Carter’s steadying hand and willingness to guard multiple positions remained valuable to a young roster still finding its identity.
Entering 2025, Carter was under contract with Chicago as part of the three-year, $20 million deal he signed in July 2023. His role continued to revolve around perimeter defense, three-point shooting, and helping develop younger guards within the Bulls’ system.
Following his release by the Bulls on February 1, 2026, and his subsequent signing with the Orlando Magic on February 6, 2026, Carter’s 2025–26 outlook shifted toward contributing to a contending Magic team chasing a deeper playoff run. His experience in high-leverage moments, including the 2021 NBA Finals, made him a logical short-term addition for a young Orlando roster.
