Pitt’s new pro player is ready for the NBA, but won’t forget his Oakland roots

As the 2024 NBA Draft concludes on June 27, two Pitt players have found new homes in professional environments.

With the 14th pick in the draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Carlton “Bub” Carrington and then shipped the guard to the Washington Wizards in a draft night trade.As the second Wizards rookie to hit the main board on draft night, Carrington will join No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr of France and No. 26 Miami product Kyshawn George in Washington.

Before Wednesday night, the Wizards needed a guard and found their man in Carrington.

During his post-draft press conference, the young, energetic guard weighed in on the biggest differences he’ll face between college and the NBA.

“I would say the biggest change is going to be the way they game plan. It’s a real strategy for the league. I’m starting to see it work for all these different teams,” Carrington said. “They have a real game plan and a real strategy for every game, and if you don’t execute it, you can’t play. I think that’s something I’m going to have to adapt to.”

Despite sporting new threads, the Pitt product holds a special place in his heart for the blue and gold.

In his introductory press conference after the draft, Carrington spoke about representing Pitt as the fourth-highest draft pick in school history. Carrington had nothing but pride to share for the university.

“It’s an incredible feeling. I love Pittsburgh, I love the Zoo, the community that Pittsburgh brings, especially to college basketball,” Carrington said. “I say I’m proud because I want people to realize that Pitt is a great school. They have a great coaching staff, a great athletic program, and sometimes you can forget that, but the fact that I’ve gotten to that level (in the draft) and come from the school that I’m from, kind of put Pitt on the map.”

After Carrington took the stage on draft night, the cameras panned to the crowd of cheering fans. The loudest in the room were seven Pitt teammates who traveled to Brooklyn to watch their teammate realize his dream. The rare and emotional moment left Carrington grateful for his Pitt family.

“It means a lot. We had a really tight team that we had built, and that’s for a team that had only been together a year,” Carrington said. “We had four freshmen, three transfers. It was a team that was definitely new and just the fact that we ended up becoming so close, like real brothers, it says a lot and I was really happy that they were able to come.”

Head coach Jeff Capel agreed in a statement, sharing his thoughts on the special occasion.

“In all my years of playing basketball, I’ve never had a player call out to his teammates,” Capel said. “When his name was called, you could hear them. They were the loudest. I hope that’s an example of the culture we’ve created.”

Capel is right about the culture that prevailed in his Panthers locker room. When teammate Blake Hinson signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Carrington was thrilled for his teammate.

“I saw that he got signed by the Lakers and I literally jumped out of my seat,” Carrington said. “I was excited for him. He’s been nothing but excited for me (throughout) the whole process, and I’m just super happy and super proud that he’s going to be able to showcase his abilities in Summer League and hopefully get a permanent roster spot, because I know he’s good enough to do that.”

Watch Bub and other former Panthers showcase their talents in NBA Summer League on ESPN from July 6-19.