After a 104-72 loss to the Golden State Warriors in NBA Summer League’s California Classic, Cameron Carr still made his Los Angeles debut count—scoring 19 points on efficient shooting and signaling why the Lakers moved up to acquire him.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Lakers opened their California Classic summer league run with a loss, 104-72, to the Golden State Warriors. The scoreboard looked brutal, but one player helped soften the blow: Cameron Carr.
Carr, the No. 24 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Baylor, showed up in a head-to-head matchup against Warriors No. 11 selection Yaxel Lendeborg. Even as the Lakers were pulled out of rhythm. Carr was steady—leading Los Angeles with 19 points on 7-for-15 field goal shooting. including 5-for-11 from 3-point range. He also recorded a blocked shot, an assist, and a couple of rebounds.
It was a performance that fit the pitch the Lakers traded for. Carr plays guard and forward, listed at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds. He comes into the NBA with the kind of profile teams typically look for when they want scoring options that can stretch defenses.
The draft-night path to Los Angeles was its own story. Carr was initially drafted by the New York Knicks with the 24th overall pick. but the Lakers traded the 25th overall pick and cash considerations to New York to get him. The move brought a player Los Angeles could use immediately—someone framed as both an athletic threat and a sharpshooting option.
Carr’s college production backed that label. Last season at Baylor, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Before that, he spent the first two years of his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers, playing in 18 games. He transferred to the Baylor Bears as a junior and was named a third-team All-Big 12 player.
His basketball roots run deep, too. Carr is the son of former NBA player Chris Carr, who played for six different teams over six seasons.
The Lakers’ move has been met with cautious optimism from observers. including a “B+” grade from USA Today Sports for Carr’s selection. Senior basketball reporter Lorenzo Reyes wrote that Carr “should be an excellent fit for a Lakers team that could always use another scoring threat to pair alongside Luka Dončić.”.
Back in California, the pairing didn’t happen on the stat sheet in the Lakers’ favor. Still. Carr’s debut had its own clarity: even in a 32-point loss. he scored with confidence from the perimeter. and he added the kind of two-way flashes—like the blocked shot—that give a new roster piece a reason to stand out.
In a summer league atmosphere built for experimentation, that kind of individual signal can matter. Carr didn’t erase the result, but he gave the Lakers something tangible to build on as the draft conversation turns into regular-season expectations.
Cameron Carr Los Angeles Lakers NBA Summer League California Classic Golden State Warriors 2026 NBA Draft Baylor Bears Luka Doncic Yaxel Lendeborg NBA draft trade