SAN FRANCISCO ― The Los Angeles Lakers might have lost their opening California Classic summer league game against the Golden State Warriors, but they proved that NBA draft night was a win.
Cameron Carr, the No. 24 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Baylor, showed that he belongs on an NBA floor.
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In a head-to-head matchup with Warriors No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg, Carr held his own. The Lakers were defeated 104-72, but Carr was the lead man for LA scoring 19 points on 7-for-15 field goal shooting, including 5-for-11 from 3-point land. He added a blocked shot, assist and a couple of rebounds in the Lakers’ loss.
Carr was initially drafted by the New York Knicks with the 24th overall pick, but the Lakers traded the 25th overall pick and cash considerations to the Knicks to get Carr.
Carr plays guard and forward, standing 6-foot-5, 185 pounds. Last season at Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
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He was highly touted as an athletic, sharpshooting threat.
USA TODAY Sports gave the Lakers’ draft selection of Carr a “B+” grade. Senior basketball reporter Lorenzo Reyes wrote that Carr “should be an excellent fit for a Lakers team that could always use another scoring threat to pair alongside Luka Dončić.”
Carr spent the first two years of his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers, playing in 18 games. He transferred to the Baylor Bears as a junior and was named a third-team All-Big 12 player. He is the son of former NBA player Chris Carr, who played for six different teams in six seasons.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Lakers rookie Cameron Carr looks NBA-ready, despite summer league loss
