The Los Angeles Lakers will open their 2026 NBA Summer League campaign in Las Vegas on Friday night.
All eyes will be on 2026 first-round pick Cameron Carr as he headlines a Lakers roster set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Carr turned heads during the California Classic in San Francisco before his tournament was cut short when he was held out of the second half of the finale because of an infected toe.
Lakers Young Wing Earns Glowing Praise Ahead of Opener
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Carr is available and expected to play against the Thunder, suggesting the toe issue is no longer a concern.
As excitement builds around the Lakers’ newest first-round pick, one of his teammates has offered a glowing endorsement of the young wing.
“I feel like we haven’t really seen his full athletic ability yet,” Lakers two-way guard Chris Manon said ahead of the opener. “He’s special. Special for sure. Once his body fills out … he’ll be a problem.”
Carr made an immediate impression during the California Classic, averaging 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 combined steal and block in just 22.4 minutes per game across two-and-a-half appearances.
The 21-year-old shot 42.1% from the field and knocked down nine of his 22 three-point attempts, an impressive 40.9% clip from beyond the arc.
His standout outing came against the Miami Heat, when he erupted for 26 points and eight rebounds in a double-overtime victory.
Those performances have only strengthened the belief that Carr could quickly carve out a role in the Lakers’ new-look rotation.
Carr Continuing to Impress Those Around Him
While it is still early in his professional career, Carr’s perimeter shooting has been one of the biggest positives of the Lakers’ offseason schedule, particularly given how often rookies need time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NBA.
Instead, the former Baylor standout has looked comfortable from the outset.
Fellow young wing Adou Thiero previously described Carr as “a sponge,” praising his willingness to learn while admitting the pair are growing together as the leaders of the Lakers’ Summer League group.
“I can answer some of these questions, but I’m still asking questions myself,” Thiero said following the California Classic opener, via the Los Angeles Times. “So we going to have to learn this, learn everything together.”
Summer League head coach Ty Abbott has also highlighted the pair’s growing chemistry, calling them a “dynamic partnership” and adding that “there’s a good connection there” between the organization’s two young wings.
Carr’s scoring ability, combined with Thiero’s defensive versatility, has already provided an encouraging glimpse of the Lakers’ future, with both players showing the tools to potentially develop into valuable long-term contributors.
Abbott added that the Lakers will continue to take a “read and react” approach with both players’ workloads throughout Summer League.
Despite the organization’s strong reputation for identifying talent in the draft, its last two first-round selections have faced difficult starts to their careers.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in 2023, endured an injury-hit spell in Los Angeles before falling out of the NBA, while 2024 first-rounder Dalton Knecht has struggled to establish himself and now finds himself on the fringes of the roster.
The Lakers will be hoping Carr can buck that trend and quickly establish himself as a meaningful part of the franchise’s next era.
Lakers Young Wing Dubbed “Special” Ahead of Summer League Opener