The Los Angeles Lakers only ended up getting one player in the 2026 NBA Draft, and that was Cameron Carr. The Lakers acquired Carr’s rights from the New York Knicks on draft night, and he spoke about what this opportunity to play for one of the NBA’s iconic franchises means to him on Hoop Streams.
“It’s big time, I think, for them to take a chance on me and want me to be in their organization; that means the world to me,” Carr said. “And so, I don’t want to let them down. When I step in, I want to step in and be as productive, as dominant as I have been.”
Carr began his college career at Tennessee, but found playing time hard to come by. He abruptly left the program during his sophomore season and chose to head to Baylor. It proved to be the right decision.
Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game for the Bears as a junior in 2025-26. The 21-year-old’s stock rose tremendously as a result, and he is glad he took the bold step to move.
“It was all about personal growth,” Carr said. “Where can I be better? How can I be more dominant? And sitting down with Coach [Scott] Drew was big time. He had very, very transparent, honest conversations about where I need to get better. And so, man, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Carr’s play at Baylor ensured he was going to be a first-round pick. The Knicks selected the guard with the No. 24 overall pick and then traded his rights to the Lakers. He is definitely the kind of player they need.
Carr has all the tools to be a fine athletic 3-and-D wing in the NBA. He shot 37.4% from three for Baylor in 2025-26 on 6.1 attempts per game. Carr then made waves at the combine with his 7’0″ wingspan and 42.5-inch max vertical.
The Lakers desperately needed to bring in quality athletic wing defenders this summer, and Carr could potentially turn out to be a very good one. If he does transition as well as you’d expect, he’ll stick around a lot longer than his father did.
Chris Carr spent six seasons in the NBA, suiting up for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, and Golden State Warriors. The elder Carr notably took part in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, where he finished runner-up to the late great Kobe Bryant.
When it was mentioned to the younger Carr here that he inherited his athleticism from his father, he hilariously made it clear he is far more athletic than his old man was. His father is a big reason why he made it this far, though.
“He played a big part in it,” Carr said. “He kind of led the way for me, and anytime that I needed help and advice to go in a certain direction, he was the one that kind of led me ’cause he’s been where I’ve wanted to go. So, he’s big time.”
We’ll get to see Carr in action for the first time as a Laker in the Summer League. He has been called one of the steals of the draft, and it will be interesting to see if he lives up to that label.
