The Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason is officially underway as the 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone. The Lakers had one pick in the first round and wound up trading up from 25 to 24 to draft Cameron Carr out of Baylor.
Carr was mocked around picks 15-20, and his slight frame presumably played a role in his falling to Los Angeles. However, he is an athletic guard and the rookie described his game as explosive and dominant.
“I’d probably say explosive, dominant,” Carr said during his introductory press conference. “I like to say I can dunk the ball, athletic plays, and block a lot of shots.”
After being a primary scoring option at Baylor, the 21-year-old will have to adjust his game to be effective off the ball with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves solidified as the backcourt in L.A. Carr spoke about how he will try to carve out a role in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation.
“First things first, play defense,” he continued. “I feel like I’ve got to show that I’m the best defender here. That’s what I’m here to do. Yeah, I was a primary ballhandler at Baylor, but that has not always been my role. In high school, I was an off-ball player. I had the best point guard in the country, Elliot Cadeau, so he set the table for me and made it very easy for me.
“I feel like now stepping in an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier. I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”
Carr possesses the right mindset heading into his first summer in the NBA as Redick loves his players getting after it defensively. Unfortunately, L.A. has yet to deploy a roster full of two-way players, but the No. 24 overall pick possesses the upside to be an inexpensive two-way piece.
With Summer League looming, he now has a chance to make a strong first impression and he will be featured heavily in those games. Hopefully, Carr stamps himself as a potential back-end rotation player for Redick in Las Vegas.
Cameron Carr: ‘Childhood dream’ to play for Lakers
Playing for a historic franchise like the Lakers comes with a lot of responsibility, which is felt especially for a young player. However, Carr shared that it was a childhood dream of his to play for L.A. and the same franchise as the legendary Kobe Bryant.
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