The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly intend to play rookie Cameron Carr in a 3-and-D role during his rookie season. It's a smart decision, as Carr shot 37.4 percent from beyond the arc during his final collegiate season and has the physical tools to be an excellent defender.
Though that may be the role Carr begins the season with, the Lakers' lack of a clearly defined go-to wing for shot creation leaves the door open for the first-year player to progressively expand his contributions.
Carr, 21, is a 6'5" and 184-pound wing with a massive 7'0.75" wingspan, a 42.5" vertical, and agility that graded in the top five among wings in every drill at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. He's also a rangy shooter who has displayed the ability to put the ball on the court both in college and at summer league. Rather than overburdening him as a rookie, however, the Lakers plan to keep things simple.
According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, a Lakers front office executive told him that the goal with Carr is to keep the game simple for him and target his contributions to burying open shots and playing defense.
“Super excited to have Cam. He’ll have to win his minutes, because his group is really deep. But he’s a worker, so that’ll give him a chance to play right away,” a Lakers front office executive said. “Cam did a lot off the bounce at Summer League, so that was fun to see. But early on, we’ll keep it easy for him: make your open jumpers and defend.”
Combine those fairly simple expectations with the void that exists for shot creation from the wings and the Lakers have kicked the door wide open for Carr to march toward a steady role in 2026-27.
Cameron Carr will be asked to be a 3-and-D guy, but more is available
The Lakers will run their heliocentric offense through All-NBA First Team mainstay Luka Doncic and shooting guard Austin Reaves. Their usage rates combined to exceed 60 in 2025-26 and should climb even higher now that LeBron James is out of the picture.
There's still an abundance of room for shot creation, however, and the Lakers' only known sources of it beyond their star duo appear to be point guard Collin Sexton and big man Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Sexton is one of the most well-rounded scorers in the NBA. He boasts career averages of 18.3 points and 1.5 three-point field goals made per game on .472/.389/.841 shooting. In addition to burying threes with impressive efficiency, he's a determined slasher who shot 51.5 percent on 9.5 drives per game in 2025-26.
Mamukelashvili, meanwhile, averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes on .523/.389/.747 shooting in 2025-26. In addition to being a sharpshooter, he's been known to take bigs off the bounce and finish in the paint.
In saying that, Sexton is a 6'3" guard and Mamukelashvili is a 6'9" big. Neither is the shot-creating wing the Lakers need for that specific role.
Lakers have talent, but shot-creating wings are tough to come by
The most likely candidate for this role is Quentin Grimes. Over the past two seasons, the 6'4" wing has averaged 14.0 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game, as well as 17.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes, on .459/.361/.800 shooting.
This past season, Grimes shot 53.6 percent on drives and 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. If all of those numbers translate to Los Angeles, the Lakers' offense should prosper.
Beyond Grimes, however, there truthfully aren't many proven options. Dalton Knecht can score, but his defensive inconsistency has kept him off the court. Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, and Ziaire Williams are talented, but not necessarily known for scoring with volume—let alone creating their own looks.
That all points to an opening existing for Carr to be able to secure more opportunities as a shot creator if he can thrive in his 3-and-D role. It's by no means guaranteed to transpire, but the door being open is unavoidably significant.
The Lakers must remain patient with Carr as he finds his footing in the NBA, but there's a realistic path to him becoming a featured reserve by the end of the 2026-27 season
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