If Cameron Carr is wondering how he can best contribute to the Los Angeles Lakers during the early stages of his career, he should look no further than Derrick Jones Jr. of the LA Clippers. Though Jones is on the Clippers now, he played alongside Luka Doncic as a member of the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks.
Considering the Lakers promised Doncic that they'll reimagine the 2023-24 Mavericks as they build out their own roster, Carr should be doing his best to emulate Jones in 2026-27.
Jones became one of Doncic's most trusted allies during Dallas' run to the 2024 NBA Finals. He averaged 23.5 minutes per game and started 66 of his 76 appearances during the regular season before his playing time skyrocketed to 29.4 minutes per contest during the playoffs.
One of the big reasons that Jones was able to earn Doncic's trust and gain more playing time was that his three-point shooting efficiency jumped from 34.3 percent during the regular season to 36.9 percent in the playoffs.
Two years later, Doncic appears to be hoping for a Jones-style player to emerge as a consistent contributor to the Lakers' rotation.
Derrick Jones Jr. is seemingly what Luka Doncic wants in a wing
Jones is one of the Association's premier wing defenders and a strong example of the 3-and-D archetype that so many teams covet. He shot 35.6 percent or better from beyond the arc during each of the past two seasons and ranked in the 94th percentile in perimeter isolation defense in 2025-26, per Basketball Index.
Between the player Jones has become and the success that Doncic experienced alongside him, it should thus come as no surprise that the Lakers' franchise player reportedly asked the front office to prioritize athletic 3-and-D wings this summer.
Per Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic:
"Those promises were to give him a locker room full of his type of players, to find him replicants, if not improvements, of the balanced roster he made a finals run with in Dallas in 2024 before the stunning trade that sent him west...There is a desire for true two-way defensive players, wings with athleticism and energy on the defensive end and a sweet shooting stroke on the offensive side of the ball."
Thankfully, Carr is one of the select few players who has the athleticism, length, and skill set to thrive in a similar manner to Jones—and he could even have a higher ceiling.
Derrick Jones Jr. showed exactly what Luka Doncic wants in a wing
Jones is a tough player to match. He stands at 6'6", has added muscle to his wiry frame to reach 210 pounds, and has a 7'0" wingspan that makes him all the more difficult to comfortably dribble past or shoot over. He's also one of the most exceptional athletes in the NBA.
A former Slam Dunk Contest champion, Jones boasts a vertical that easily clears 40" and helps him sky through the air on both ends of the floor.
Carr is uniquely equipped to keep the pace. He measured at 6'4.5" without shoes, which should put him between 6'5" and 6'6" in them. He has a thin frame at 184 pounds, but should have a chance to fill out like Jones did. He also boasts a head-turning 7'0.75" wingspan.
If that weren't enough to stoke the flames of comparison, Carr recorded a 42.5" vertical at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine and ranked among the top players at the event in every agility drill.
To put it plainly: Carr is an incredible athlete who can achieve the rare feat of rivaling Jones' explosiveness.
Cameron Carr should follow Derrick Jones Jr.'s lead
Carr's greatest advantage in this comparison is that he's ahead of where Jones was at the same stage of their respective professional careers. For instance: Jones shot just 30.4 percent from beyond the arc between his first seven NBA seasons after burying 20.5 percent of his attempts during his lone collegiate campaign.
Carr, meanwhile, shot 37.4 percent from beyond the arc and has displayed the endless range that suggests he can translate his highlight-worthy shooting to the NBA.
Furthermore, Carr has displayed the ability to attack closeouts, finish in traffic, and even create in isolation from time to time. Even if he never translates those skills to the NBA, however, balancing efficient shooting with floating above the clouds as a lob target would make him an ideal fit for the Jones-style role.
If Carr can learn from what worked for Jones in Dallas, then building out the rest of his game would be a far easier task as he earns Doncic's trust and gains additional opportunities in Los Angeles.
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