DeMarre Carroll is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for over a decade. He was born on July 27, 1986, in Birmingham, Alabama, and attended John Carroll Catholic High School before playing college basketball at Vanderbilt University.
Carroll was selected 27th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent his first two seasons with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2011. He played for the Rockets for one season before being traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2012. Carroll played for the Nuggets for half a season before being traded to the Utah Jazz, where he played for two seasons.
In 2015, Carroll signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Toronto Raptors. He played for the Raptors for two seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. Carroll played for the Nets for two seasons before being waived in 2019. He then signed with the San Antonio Spurs for the 2019-2020 season, but was waived in February 2020.
Throughout his career, Carroll was known for his defensive abilities and his versatility on the court. He was often tasked with guarding the opposing team's best player and was known for his tenacity and physicality on defense. He was also a solid three-point shooter and was capable of scoring in a variety of ways.
Carroll's best season came in 2014-2015 when he was with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 39.5% from three-point range. He was a key player on a Hawks team that won 60 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite his success on the court, Carroll faced several setbacks throughout his career. He suffered a knee injury during the 2015 playoffs that required surgery and caused him to miss the first two months of the following season. He also dealt with ankle injuries and a hip injury that caused him to miss significant time.
In March 2020, Carroll announced his retirement from the NBA after 10 seasons. He finished his career with averages of 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 35.2% from three-point range. He played for six different teams throughout his career and was known as a hard-working and respected player both on and off the court.
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