Cameron Carr gave the Los Angeles Lakers a glimpse of his offensive ambition during the NBA Summer League. When the rookie reaches training camp, however, his first assignment will be considerably simpler.
Make open shots. Defend. Earn everything else.
A Lakers front office executive outlined that plan to Keith Smith for his Spotrac summer league notebook, making clear that the No. 24 overall pick will not enter coach JJ Redick’s rotation on draft status alone.
“He’ll have to win his minutes, because his group is really deep,” the executive said. “But he’s a worker, so that’ll give him a chance to play right away.”
The Lakers were encouraged by Carr’s willingness to create off the dribble during summer league. Initially, though, they envision him handling the basic responsibilities required of a young wing playing alongside Luka Dončić: space the floor, attack closeouts selectively and hold up defensively.
It is a modest job description with potentially meaningful minutes attached.
Cameron Carr Showed More Than Shooting During Summer League
Carr averaged 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist across seven games between the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, shooting 42.3% from the field.
His best Las Vegas performance came against the Clippers, when he scored 23 points, made three 3-pointers and added two assists and a blocked shot. Carr averaged 18 points in four games in Las Vegas as the Lakers reached the semifinals.
The shooting results were uneven. Carr made 40.9% of his 3-point attempts during the California Classic but only 19.2% in Las Vegas. That inconsistency helps explain why the Lakers want to narrow his early responsibilities rather than immediately ask him to create NBA offense.
Carr has the physical tools to contribute without dominating the ball. He measured with a wingspan longer than 7 feet and produced a 42½-inch maximum vertical leap at the NBA combine. At Baylor, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc.
His off-the-bounce flashes expanded the developmental possibilities. His pathway to rookie minutes remains rooted in becoming a dependable 3-and-D option.
Carr Faces Crowded Competition for Lakers Minutes
The Lakers’ perimeter rotation has few obvious openings.
Dončić and Austin Reaves will control most of the offense. Quentin Grimes offers shooting and multipositional defense, while Collin Sexton and Jake LaRavia supply proven bench scoring. Carr must also compete with Dalton Knecht, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Hardy and fellow young forward Adou Thiero for wing minutes.
That depth gives Los Angeles the luxury of developing Carr without forcing him into an oversized role. It also means mistakes could send him quickly to the bench or the South Bay Lakers.
Carr will already miss one valuable chemistry-building opportunity. He is the only Lakers player unable to attend Dončić’s team-bonding minicamp in Slovenia later this month because it conflicts with the NBA’s mandatory rookie orientation, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
The absence is unavoidable, not a reflection of Carr’s standing within the organization. Training camp will provide his first real opportunity to apply the front office’s plan.
The Lakers do not need Carr to reproduce his summer-league scoring. They need him to prove his athleticism, length and shooting can make life easier for Dončić.
If he does that consistently, the minutes he must win may eventually become difficult for Redick to withhold.
Lakers Reveal Major Plan for First-Round Pick Cameron Carr