Going into the night of the 2026 NBA Draft, Cameron Carr was the No. 12 player on my board. Now, I’m not Sam Vecenie or an NBA Draft wizard by any means, but I’ve been evaluating talent since I really started taking basketball and sports media seriously, so I feel like I’m pretty decent at it.
For me, Carr was always high on my board, but his measurements and combine play made him an obvious top-14 prospect. Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 stocks (steals + blocks) per game at Baylor while shooting 37.4 percent from deep. Combined with his bounce and 7-foot-plus wingspan, I don't know how he wasn't a lottery-level talent.
There was genuine shock when the Lakers snatched him up at the back half of round one. Carr is far from a finished product, and if there is one major concern with him as an NBA player, it is his frame.
Carr has an extremely thin frame for an NBA-level wing, and he’s aware of that. From day one with the Lakers, Carr has made it clear he plans to live in the weight room, and at media day he gave everyone the update they wanted to hear about that mission.
"I'm in there every day. I show up and work hard. I've lifted every single day. I lift hard. I've been getting stronger. ... You'll see differences."
Cameron Carr is headed down the right path in his Lakers development
It’s unclear how big of a role Carr will have, especially early in his rookie season with the Lakers. With additions like Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, and even Adou Thiero probably ahead of him in the pecking order, it may be hard for him to get real PT.
I expect Carr to spend a lot of time in the G League in year one, but that’s not a bad thing at all. This will let him focus on the biggest weakness in his game at the pro level: his frame, as he mentioned at media day.
Think about it: he has the skills already to be an elite shooter; he has the bag and handle to get hot and score in bunches, and the length and instincts to be a disruptive defensive playmaker. Adding weight is the key to maximizing his game.
His dedication to already improving his body is so encouraging. The more time he spends around an NBA-grade nutrition team, while hitting the weights hard, the more it is going to do wonders for Carr’s body transformation.
The number one way to get stronger or become bigger is by eating and hitting weights. It’s funny that coming from a guy typing at his computer who hasn’t worked out once this week and is starting to look like a milk bag, but ask any fitness nut.
They’ll tell you the most important things are eating a ton and lifting. Carr can really focus on doing that this season because he doesn’t have an overly defined role with the Lakers.
Carr almost has the whole package to become a perfect long-term fit alongside Luka Doncic. If he continues his dedication to getting stronger and improving his body, he’s only going to make every team that passed on him look more foolish than they already do.
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