Kevin Huerter

Kevin Joseph Huerter (/ˈhərtər/; born August 27, 1998) is an American basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Red Velvet",[1] he played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.

Kevin Huerter
Huerter with the Atlanta Hawks in 2020
No. 9 – Sacramento Kings
PositionShooting guard / small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1998-08-27) August 27, 1998 (age 25)
Albany, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High schoolShenendehowa
(Clifton Park, New York)
CollegeMaryland (2016–2018)
NBA draft2018: 1st round, 19th overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career2018–present
Career history
20182022Atlanta Hawks
2022–presentSacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA U19 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2017 EgyptNational team
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 Chile National team

High school career

Huerter, a 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) shooting guard, played at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York, a suburban town located in Saratoga County. During his career, he led the school to its second state championship and, as a senior, was named Mr. New York Basketball.[2]

Recruiting

On September 7, 2015, Huerter committed to play college basketball for Maryland, choosing the Terrapins over 20 offers.[3] By the end of his high school career, Huerter was considered a four-star recruit and was ranked No. 50 overall recruit and No. 11 shooting guard in the 2016 high school class.[4][5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Kevin Huerter
SG
Clifton Park, NYShenendehowa (NY)6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)170 lb (77 kg)Sep 7, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 86
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 59  247Sports: 85  ESPN: 50
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Maryland 2016 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  • "2016 Maryland Terrapins Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.

College career

Huerter in 2017

Huerter earned a starting position as a freshman, averaging 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on the season.[6] Following his freshman season, he was selected to the United States team for the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, where the team finished third.[7]

As a sophomore, Huerter increased his production, scoring 14.8 points and averaging 5 rebounds per game. At the close of the season, he was named honorable mention All-Big Ten.[8]

Professional career

Atlanta Hawks (2018–2022)

Following his sophomore season at Maryland, Huerter declared his eligibility for the 2018 NBA draft without an agent.[9] He was selected to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.[10] After working out with the Los Angeles Lakers, Huerter opted to hire an agent and remain in the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility on May 30, 2018.[11]

On June 21, 2018, Huerter was selected with the nineteenth overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA draft. On July 1, 2018, Huerter officially signed with the Hawks.[12]

On December 31, 2018, Huerter's first 20-point game came against the Indiana Pacers, during which he scored 22 points in a 116–108 loss.[13] On January 11, 2019, Huerter scored a season-high 29 points against the Philadelphia 76ers in a 123–121 victory.[14] At the end of the 2018–19 NBA season, Huerter was voted to the All-Rookie Second Team.[15]

In game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points, to lead the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2015.[16]

On October 18, 2021, Huerter signed a four-year, $65 million rookie contract extension with the Hawks.[17]

Sacramento Kings (2022–present)

On July 6, 2022, Huerter was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Maurice Harkless, Justin Holiday, and a future first-round pick.[18] On October 19, Huerter made his Kings debut, recording 23 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 115–108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.[19]

On January 18, 2024, Huerter scored a career–high 31 points on 11–for–17 shooting in a 126–121 loss against the Indiana Pacers.[20] On March 21, Huerter was diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder and labral tear after suffering the injury in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.[21] On March 29, it was announced that he would undergo surgery to repair the injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the season as a result.[22]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
 RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
 BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2018–19Atlanta755927.3.419.385.7323.32.9.9.39.7
2019–20Atlanta564831.4.413.380.8284.13.8.9.512.2
2020–21Atlanta694930.8.432.363.7813.33.51.2.311.9
2021–22Atlanta746029.6.454.389.8083.42.7.7.412.1
2022–23Sacramento757529.4.485.402.7253.32.91.1.315.2
2023–24Sacramento645924.4.443.361.7663.52.6.7.410.2
Career41335028.8.444.382.7663.53.0.9.311.9

Play-in

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2022Atlanta2229.3.550.5713.53.01.0.013.0
Career2229.3.550.5713.53.01.0.013.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2021Atlanta181031.0.428.347.7063.82.8.8.911.1
2022Atlanta5530.7.362.290.7503.03.81.2.69.2
2023Sacramento7726.2.347.205.7504.41.1.41.39.1
Career302229.8.398.303.7243.82.6.8.910.3

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2016–17Maryland333329.4.420.371.7144.92.71.0.79.3
2017–18Maryland323234.4.503.417.7585.03.4.6.714.8
Career656531.9.466.394.7495.03.0.8.712.0

Personal life

Huerter was raised in Clifton Park, New York, by his parents Tom and Erin Huerter.[23] He has a brother and two sisters.[23] His father played college basketball for Siena College,[24] and his brother has also played for them.[25][26]

Huerter also played baseball as a child and is a fan of the New York Yankees.[27][28] His Babe Ruth League team was coached by his father,[29][30] and finished third at the 2013 14U World Series.[31] Huerter was a teammate of Ian Anderson within the Babe Ruth League and high school baseball.[32][33][34]

References

External links