The Los Angeles Lakers selected Cameron Carr with the No. 24 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft. Rob Pelinka swapped the 25th pick with New York’s 24th to get the Baylor guard. Los Angeles was projected to draft a center but pivoted as most of its potential targets were off the board.
Carr was arguably the best option available and someone who could fit Los Angeles’ plans. Carr, a 6-foot-5 athletic shooting guard, averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the 2025-26 NCAA season as a junior. He shot 49.4% from the field, including 36.7% from three-point range.
The Lakers needed a wing of that caliber who could make the rotation in his first year. After skepticism around Los Angeles’ draft strategy following failed first-round selections over the past two years, the team’s fans hailed Pelinka for securing Carr.
Here’s how they reacted:
Where does Cameron Carr fit in the Lakers’ rotation?
Cameron Carr would likely play a similar role to Jake LaRavia should JJ Redick invest in him in his rookie season. Carr has the tools to play in a lineup with the big three of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Reaves and James are free agents, so it’s not certain that they would play, but if they did, Carr would mesh well with them.
He can take on the tougher perimeter defensive assignments as well. Carr will likely back up Reaves and the starting small forward on the team. He’s been compared to the likes of Devin Vassell, Trey Murphy III and Brandon Miller. All three players would have made the Lakers instantly better last year.
It’s a bigger win for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers than one could imagine, as Cameron Carr was projected to be a top-15 pick. However, once he fell, Pelinka didn’t hesitate and got on a call with the Knicks to get a deal done.
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