The Los Angeles Lakers have three high-level starters in Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes, and Austin Reaves. Beyond that trio, however, are a surplus of question marks in regard to who will create depth in JJ Redick's rotation. That's already put rookie Cameron Carr in a high-pressure situation.
Carr has a realistic path to meaningful minutes with his fellow reserves not yet separating themselves from the pack, but an NBA rotation can quickly become clouded when there's a superstar to build around and a trade market to explore.
Carr will likely be competing for minutes with the likes of Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams. LaRavia and Thiero are talented but lack an efficient jump shot, Thybulle has missed at least 52 games in each of the past two seasons, and the Williams hype is based more on upside than immediate value after the 6'9" forward shot 42.5 percent from the field as a fifth-year player in 2025-26.
With this in mind, Carr could realistically outpace the competition and secure a place as the first wing off the bench to replace Doncic, Grimes, or Reaves with projected sixth man Collin Sexton.
In that scenario, Carr would be tasked with providing quality minutes to a team that's hoping to help Doncic, a 27-year-old superstar, compete for a championship in 2026-27. That isn't to say that failing to win a title would be a bust of a season, but the Lakers are hoping to trend in that direction.
If they feel that Carr and his fellow reserves aren't necessarily up to the task, then there's a realistic scenario in which the Lakers would trade for an upgrade. From there, all bets would be off.
Lakers' potential backup wings all have question marks
Dalton Knecht is proof of how quickly a promising mid-to-late first-round draft pick can go from the talk of the town to an afterthought in the rotation. Rewind the clocks to November of 2024 and Knecht was turning heads with explosive scoring performances, posting as many as 37 points in a single game.
Knecht's lackluster defense overshadowed his offense, however, and when the Lakers traded for 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith, his place in the rotation lost stability.
Los Angeles would later trade for Doncic, transform the way they played, and render Knecht's strengths incapable of overshadowing his weaknesses. Carr projects to be a better defender than Knecht, as well as a capable three-point shooter, and could thus avoid that fate.
Everything that's being said about Carr at this stage of his career, however, is based exclusively on evaluating his college and summer league tape. He could realistically struggle in areas many expect him to thrive—much like a surplus of other rookies throughout NBA history.
Lakers are looking to win now and have proven they'll trade for upgrades
That doesn't mean Carr himself will be traded, nor does it say anything about the future of his four-year contract. If the Lakers opt to trade for a veteran who's better suited for the job in 2026-27, however, then he'll face an uphill battle as he attempts to reclaim his spot in the rotation in future seasons.
This is admittedly at least partially based on the assumption that Rob Pelinka has learned his lesson after trading a combined four second-round picks for Finney-Smith and Luke Kennard, only to lose them the following summer in free agency.
To put it simply: A potential trade would likely result in a multi-year investment after the Lakers were burned twice in as many seasons between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
It must be reiterated that Carr should improve over time and thus carve out a consistent spot in the rotation. His rookie season simply won't be as simple as learning the ropes, as the Lakers may need him to make an impact from day one—and could crowd the rotation with an in-season addition if he isn't yet ready to do so, no matter how understandable that would be.
Carr represents a bright future in Los Angeles, but Knecht is proof of how quickly a promising rookie can find it difficult to secure minutes in an NBA rotation.
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