The Los Angeles Lakers have officially begun the process of keeping their promise to Luka Doncic that they will recreate the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks. On the first night of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Lakers selected 3-and-D wing Cameron Carr to address one of their most pressing needs.
Though the Lakers still need to get the lob threat that Doncic has asked for, drafting Carr officially put the wheels in motion as he projects to occupy a familiar role in this new-yet-old-look system.
Dallas reached the 2024 NBA Finals by surrounding Doncic with athletic bigs and wings who consistently showed up on defense. The Mavericks also placed a significant emphasis on three-point shooting, ranking No. 3 in the NBA in conversions in 2023-24.
That makes the Lakers' reported promise to Doncic that they'll recreate the Mavericks' magic and formula from 2023-24 a layered process. Thankfully, the Carr selection checks the first pivotal box.
Per Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the promise to Doncic included finding "true two-way defensive players" who offer athleticism and shooting.
"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."
Drafting Carr has gone a long way toward answering the call, as he's the type of athletic wing and rangy three-point shooter Dallas built their perimeter around.
Luka Doncic asked for athletic wing defenders who can shoot the ball
At the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, Carr measured at 6'4.5" without shoes and 184 pounds with a jaw-dropping 7'0.75" wingspan. That had already begun to help him turn heads when he achieved a 42.5" max vertical leap that left many pondering how far his upside truly reached.
Carr offered even more reason for intrigue when he finished No. 2 amongst all prospects at the Combine in the lane agility drill, No. 9 in the shuttle run, and No. 5 amongst wings in the three-quarter sprint.
With the length and athleticism to impose his will on defense, Carr's potential is easy to see. It's not just empty promises, however, as he's already displayed the ability to be a defensive playmaker in the passing lanes and as a shot-blocker—both along the perimeter and at the rim.
That much is evident in Carr's highlight reel alone, which looks like that of a genuine two-way superstar with how he flies around the court with effortless precision and even shoots from well beyond the three-point line.
2026 Cameron Carr https://t.co/zC5WEFnuMy pic.twitter.com/i7BJKe18VC
— Pitless (@pitlessball) April 23, 2026
A deeper dive into his film and potential reveals the characteristics of a potentially tremendous 3-and-D wing with the potential for more.
Cameron Carr is a 3-and-D wing with unreal all-around potential
Beyond the athletic feats, Carr is capable of contributing in just about every phase of the game. That's reflected in his 2025-26 season averages of 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 2.3 three-point field goals made per game on .494/.374/.801 shooting.
Keep in mind: Carr also transferred mid-season in 2024-25, meaning he was playing his first competitive basketball in nearly a calendar year at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
The question, of course, is whether or not Carr can become an on-ball threat as well as an off-ball option. In essence: Can he create his own offense like Tim Hardaway Jr. was able to for the 2023-24 Mavericks or is he resigned more to a catch-and-shoot role like Derrick Jones Jr.? Ideally, he'll combine their attributes and improve upon their efficiency.
Regardless of which type of player Carr becomes, he's about to give Doncic a reminder of what it was like in Dallas with athleticism, defense, and shooting along the wings.
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