Amid a strong 3-1 start to the 2026-27 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to see rookie Cameron Carr take the court, as the 24th pick in the draft has been dealing with an oblique injury to begin his professional career.
Ahead of the Lakers’ Tuesday night game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team briefly assigned Carr to the G League Coachella Valley team, but brought him back up hours later.
Carr is expected to play a key role for this Lakers team, but though he’s been sidelined through the opening four games of the season, head coach JJ Redick recently offered an encouraging injury update on the rookie, which bodes well for him getting his first NBA action soon.
Lakers Announce Cameron Carr Injury Update, G League Decision Reasoning
Speaking before the Lakers’ loss to Portland, Redick offered some comments about Carr, who has been on the injury report to start the season.
“We’re still working through that,” Redick said of Carr’s injury. “He was able to complete a full practice today. With five games in seven nights, we won’t be able to practice this week, so we wanted to be mindful of his ramp-up and what he needs to do to get back into our lineup.”
“Today was a good step for him.”
The Lakers have yet to announce an official return date or timeline for Carr to get back from his oblique injury. He is listed as day-to-day, and while Redick didn’t fully offer when he’ll make his NBA debut, the decision to have the rookie practice with the G League team as he ramps back up from the injury was a step in the right direction.
“We needed him to get through a full practice, so that was probably a very important step. Obviously, he was able to do some conditioning because it was an upper-body injury, but we want to make sure he’s able to take hits and is in shape,” Redick added.
Whenever he does return from the injury, Carr is expected to be a key wing player for the Lakers, as the team is hoping his collective 36.7% three-point shooting during his three collegiate seasons can translate to the NBA and add to the team’s guard/forward depth.
What Did Los Angeles Say About The Rookie When He Was Drafted?
As mentioned, the Lakers landed Carr this offseason after he was picked 24th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
According to Redick, the team saw a ton of value in the 21-year-old, as he was high on the team’s draft board.
“The guy wants to play, he wants to learn, he wants to compete. Where he was on our board, he was not No. 24. He was much higher,” Redick told reporters at Media Day. “So we feel very fortunate that we were able to get Cam. … We feel very fortunate to get him and be able to develop Cam as an NBA player.”
Additionally, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka sang Carr’s praises after he was added to the roster.
“I mean, extraordinary talent. The basketball tools are easy to see. Showcased them at Baylor in a big way. We did a deep dive into him as a person, and we’re really satisfied with the character and what came out in terms of the work ethic,” he said.
“That’s such a big part of the equation. And I think what we’ve seen here with Cam is that he’s an extraordinary athlete and an incredible shooter, but he’s also a very curious and inquisitive learner.”
Regardless, due to Carr’s injury, he has yet to see any action so far. There’s hope he won’t remain out too long, and according to the latest update from Redick, the Lakers feel he is taking the right steps to return soon from the oblique injury.
The Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, but Carr’s status for that game remains undetermined.
Lakers Announce Key Injury Update On Rookie Yet To Play A Game