Anyone who has been paying even slight attention to the Los Angeles Lakers offseason could tell you their biggest roster gap is on the wings. That is true, but the size of that hole could be a lot smaller if Cameron Carr brings to the main roster what he has been flashing with the summer league team.
As the Lakers continue to look for solutions to boost the wing spots, their first-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft could be one of them. Carr brings the desirables one would want at those positions around Luka Doncic. It is about how quickly his game adapts to the pro level.
Summer league is not the best indicator of player's abilities, as most of the competition includes guys who are fighting for their spots in the NBA. However, it is always encouraging to see rookies who instantly look too good to be there. Carr is flirting with that notion being true of him.
His first two games from the California Classic have offered up performances that are nothing short of encouraging. Carr looks smooth, confident, and ready to take advantage of the openings defenses give him. The Lakers will hope that carries over to the 2026-27 regular season.
Cameron Carr has a chance to immediately join the Lakers' rotation
Carr's ability to shoot the ball and stretch the floor has already been strong. In his first game of the California Classic, the Lakers rookie shot 5-of-11 from beyond the arc against the Golden State Warriors. In the follow-up, the former Baylor Bear dropped 4-of-9 from deep against the Miami Heat.
Doncic said he wants shooters around him midway through June. Carr and the Lakers are certainly ticking that box thus far in the early sample size.
Shooting is important, but what about his defense?
Carr has all the athletic tools to be a good to great defender in the NBA. However, there is still a road of development to travel before the explosive scorer can be a truly elite option on both ends.
The good news is that Carr understands this as well as anyone else. The rookie wing said as much after the summer league matchup against the Heat.
"Got to step up and be more consistent..be ahead of it, on time and be in the right spots so I'm not messing up for these guys. Nobody wants to go out there and guard their butt off for 20 seconds, and the dude that messes up is the dude that just got here," Carr told reporters after the game.
There will be a lot more confidence in the Lakers' wing depth if the 24th overall pick from the 2026 NBA Draft is a hit from day one. Carr is immediately creating confidence in that being the case. That will give him a chance to fill that void in Los Angeles as soon as training camp starts.
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