A look at the NBA seasons of ex-WVU standouts Jevon Carter and Miles McBride

When it comes to players currently in the NBA, it seems WVU specializes in 6-foot-1 guards.
Hard-nosed, 6-1 guards, that is, drafted in the second round that blossom.
Of course, every Mountaineer fan knows the legacy of defensive bulldog Jevon Carter, now with the Chicago Bulls. Drafted in 2018, Carter played in all 72 games this season and averaged 4.96 points and 1.31 assists.
Remember, Carter was signed in the second round of the ‘18 draft and had to bounce back and forth from Memphis to the G League before finding steady success. Brooklyn waived him in 2022. He’s had to work hard for what he’s now receiving: A three-year $19.5 million contract – all guaranteed — with the Bulls, according to Spotrac. Next season he’ll earn a base salary of $6.5 million. His career earnings? A whopping $22.4 million.
The only bad news is, Carter played less this season, averaging 13.9 minutes, than at any other point of his career except for the 2020-21 season with Phoenix (11.9) and the 2021-22 season with Brooklyn (12). This was certainly considered a disappointing season.
In April, a Chicago Sun Times article was headlined, “Bulls’ Jevon Carter wants real conversation of ‘clarity’ this offseason.” The subhead: “The Bulls made the guard a top priority in free agency last July, but Carter has watched his playing time continue to dry up in the last month.”
Remember, Carter, now 28, is a Chicago native, hailing from Maywood, Ill.
Carter has now played for Memphis (where Buckhannon native Chris Wallace, then the general manager of the Grizzlies, had a hand in drafting the guard in the second round), Phoenix, Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Carter was most productive – and received the most playing time – with Milwaukee. In 2022-23, he averaged 22.4 minutes and 8.04 points. In 2021-22, in 20 games after leaving Brooklyn, he averaged 17.7 minutes and 5.6 points.
Miles “Deuce” McBride, meanwhile, became a New York Knick fan favorite this season. He played in 68 games and averaged 8.26 points, 1.47 rebounds and 1.68 assists.
McBride was originally taken in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder before they sent his draft rights to the Knicks the next day. As with Carter, McBride bounced back and forth between the Knicks and their G League team before the team first exercised their team option to extend his contract in June of 2023 and then signed him to a veteran extension.
His deal is for three years and $13 million – again all guaranteed – and an average annual salary of $4.3 million. Considering his impact, it’s been a great deal for the Knicks.
If you watched the playoffs, you know McBride was a central figure, especially with injuries to New York. He started two games and played in all 13, averaging 26.7 minutes a playoff game and 11 points. In comparison, he averaged just 2.5 minutes in 2022-23 playoff action and .38 points last season.
Back on May 1, NBA writer David Vertsberger published a story with a headline about McBride’s “massive Knicks playoffs impact.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, from where McBride went to high school at Moeller, trumpeted how he starred in New York’s Game 1 win against Philadelphia when he scored 21 points in 28 minutes off the bench.
And then there’s this headline from the “Knicks Wall,” which, hopefully sums up McBride’s situation:
“Miles McBride Is Here to Stay.”
Here’s hoping for a bounceback season for Carter in 2024-25 and a continuation of McBride’s blossoming in New York.
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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.