With the Los Angeles Lakers looking like a team in need of 3-and-D guys after six games, Cameron Carr's absence has been felt. The rookie hasn't yet made his NBA regular-season debut due to a right oblique strain, but he's apparently on the verge of changing that.
Carr has been assigned to the Coachella Valley Lakers for some ramp-up practice sessions before he rejoins the big boys. The Lakers' 24th overall pick from the 2026 NBA Draft, Carr is an athletic sniper from 3 who should fit like a glove on this Luka Doncic-led squad.
When Carr enters the picture, there's no reason he shouldn't be in the rotation right away. And to reallocate minutes to fit Carr in, Lakers head coach JJ Redick should give some of Quentin Grimes' minutes to Carr, seeing as Grimes has been pretty bad this season offensively.
Cameron Carr deserves some of Quentin Grimes' minutes for Lakers
The Lakers drafted Carr with the feeling that he'd be ready to contribute right away, and the former Baylor star didn't waste any time rewarding that evaluation, dropping 19 points on 3-of-7 from 3 in his preseason debut against the Sacramento Kings.
Carr's most striking assets are his shooting ability and above-the-rim athleticism, but he's also notably long with a 7-foot-1 wingspan that should make him an impact defender for the Lake Show.
As aforementioned, Grimes has been a disappointment so far this year (it's early, I know), especially for a guy who just signed a $60 million deal with LA. Shooting just 23.5 percent from 3, Grimes isn't doing a good job of keeping defenders honest beyond the perimeter and thereby creating floor space for Luka and Austin Reaves to cook in.
Carr can. At the very least, he deserves a shot to compete with Grimes for minutes and see if he's a more useful wing option alongside Luka and AR.
Cameron Carr should be inserted into the Lakers' rotation immediately
Redick should give Carr 10 to 15 minutes of action right out of the gate to establish a respectable sample size. The Lakers can keep relying on Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams to log big minutes on the wing, but they have some tinkering to do with Carr/Grimes for that third wing spot, and an open competition is the smartest route.
LA will need one of Carr or Grimes to be a contributor in the playoffs (or both! We'll see). Redick needs to find out as soon as possible who is the better option to feature throughout the regular season, and he's not going to know that answer without throwing Carr into the fire right away and seeing how he responds. Let the kid spread his wings.
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