The Lakers have traded the 25th pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft to the Knicks in a last-second move that sends the 24th pick to Los Angeles for additional cash considerations. ESPN’s Shams Charania has confirmed that the Lakers paid the Knicks to move up one spot in this draft.
“Sources: New York is trading No. 24 to the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 25,” wrote Charania on X. “The Knicks received cash considerations from the Lakers for No. 24 — Cameron Carr,” he further added.
Cameron Carr is a six-foot-five-inch-tall guard who has exceptional athleticism and shooting. He averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in college, where he played 34 games in just one season. Carr shot 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from behind the three-point line, and 80.1% from the free-throw line.
Carr was not happy as he approached the stage to receive a draft cap for the Knicks with the knowledge that he had already been traded to the Lakers.
Cameron Carr reaction to getting traded to the Lakers:
“I’m being traded?” pic.twitter.com/duGAxWL0ui
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) June 24, 2026
The 21-year-old guard had the second-fastest lane agility time (10.46 seconds), second-highest standing vertical leap (38 inches), and third-highest max vertical leap (42.5 inches) at the NBA combine. Carr had the longest wingspan (7’1) among players 6’6 or shorter at the combine.
His dad, Chris Carr, played six seasons in the NBA and was the runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the 1997 Dunk Contest. Carr’s shooting as well as athleticism make him a perfect lob threat who can also space the floor, which was the perfect fit for a player that the Lakers needed beside Luka Doncic on the roster.
It was anticipated that Carr would move up in the draft after such an impressive showcase at the Draft Combine. Some even suggested he deserved to be a lottery pick. So this seems like a steal for the Lakers at No. 24 in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, who are the defending champions, selected Sergio de Larrea, the 20-year-old, 6’6 wing who last played in Valencia. Even though the guard is talented and could help Valencia win the Spanish league, it is anticipated that the Knicks will only hold his draft rights and not offer him a contract that impacts the 2026-27 team salary figures.
But every dollar saved at a time when the Knicks are struggling to stay under the second apron is important as they look to keep the championship-winning roster together. So this seems like a win-win move for both teams.
