The Los Angeles Lakers selected 21-year-old two-way wing Cameron Carr out of Baylor University with the No. 24 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He will appear publicly as a Laker for the first time with general manager Rob Pelinka in a press conference on Friday, June 26 at 2:30 p.m. PT at the UCLA Health Training Center.
Carr is just the third player the Lakers have selected — and kept — in the first round since 2018, and he is looking to become the first since that same year to become an impactful piece for L.A. Pelinka will introduce him in what is hopeful to be the first of several important introductory pressers for the Lakers this offseason.
Carr spent his first two college seasons as a non-rotation player for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he actually was a teammate of Lakers guard Dalton Knecht. He then transferred to the Baylor Bears for his junior campaign, and broke out as a hot shooting two-way wing.
He started all 34 games for the Bears, playing 33.7 minutes per game. He averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from three and 80.1% from the free throw line. All his tools indicate that he can be a dynamic dunker, phenomenal shooter and lengthy, switchable help defender at the NBA level.
Pelinka will surely be asked about how he envisions Carr fitting into the Lakers both in the short and long term next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He may also be asked about other offseason planning, as free agency is set to get underway on June 30. LeBron James’ status is still up in the air and is arguably the biggest question mark surrounding the Lakers heading into free agency.
Additionally, Carr will likely be asked about what he hopes to bring to the Lakers, what parts of his game he hopes to work on and how he can complement L.A.’s stars. The team has been leaning in on player development given the restrictions in the new CBA, so the hope is that Carr will be able to come in and contribute right away and develop into a starting-caliber player.
Where to watch Rob Pelinka & Cameron Carr’s Lakers introductory press conference
Rob Pelinka and Cameron Carr’s press conference will be broadcasted live on Spectrum SportsNet at 2:30 p.m. PT on Friday.
The Lakers Nation YouTube page will have live coverage throughout the day as well.
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