For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft , we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Baylor’s Cameron Carr.
Carr is coming off a breakout season at Baylor, where he set a school scoring record averaging 18.9 points per game despite the Bears finishing a disappointing 17-17. The Tennessee transfer arrived in Waco largely under the radar, with five-star freshman
Tounde Yessoufou expected to be the program’s top NBA prospect. Carr flipped that script entirely. He now projects as a mid-to-late lottery pick, with most mocks slotting him somewhere in the 15-22 range heading into June. The Sixers sit at 22, and if Carr is still on the board, it would be hard to pass on a player with his upside at that spot.
Profile
2023-24 Stats: 34 games, 33.7 minutes, 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.3 blocks, 49.4% FG, 37.4% 3P, 80.1% FT
Team: Baylor
Year: Junior
Position: SG/SF
Height & Weight: 6’4.5” | 184.4 lbs
Born: November 21, 2004 (21 years old)
Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Strengths
When it comes to Cameron Carr, there’s a lot to like if you’re into freakish athletes with explosiveness and vertical pop. Carr posted a 42.5 inch max vertical at the NBA combine, paired with a 6’4.5″ frame (barefoot) and a nearly 7’1″ wingspan. He’s up there with the best dunkers in this talented draft class, capable of finishing through traffic with no shortage of authority or flair.
He uses his lengthy wingspan well, whether finishing around the rim or posting up against smaller guards, and that same length aids him as a positionally excellent rebounder at 5.8 per game. Even beyond the raw vertical, Carr is a fluid mover with real bend to him. He takes long strides, changes direction quickly, and his north-south explosiveness is genuinely special.
After transferring from Tennessee, Carr took serious steps in rediscovering his game during his redshirt season at Baylor and has become a legitimate go-to scoring option and offensive focal point. He can rock defenders off balance, use crossovers, and change direction suddenly to get by some of the better NCAA defenders.
Many elite NBA scorers showcase a herky-jerky or twitchy style, and there’s reason to believe Carr could be one of those guys with the right refinement. There are few prospects who can showcase a fluid, reliable handle while also carrying a plus wingspan frame.
Carr is also more than capable of hitting shots from range, and the numbers back it up across just about every situation you can put him in. At Baylor, he knocked down 37.4 percent of his threes on high volume, and he lit it up at the NBA combine a few weeks ago, shooting 14 of 25 on the spot-up portion and 22 of 30 on the off-the-dribble segment.
The majority of his three-point attempts have been catch-and-shoot, and what stands out is how little his efficiency drops with a hand in his face. He can also create his own shot off the dribble and has shown he can knock it down in that capacity too. He spots up the majority of the time but his efficiency holds up across just about every play type you can put him in, whether that’s as a pick-and-roll handler, coming off screens, or pulling up in transition. His range is genuinely limitless, extending well beyond the NBA three-point line with real consistency, and his clean, repeatable form suggests none of this is going away at the next level regardless of how he’s used.
Given his perimeter gravity, Carr is excellent at attacking closeouts and turning his off-ball movement into easy buckets. He’s a phenomenal finisher across the board, and his flexibility and body control really shine here. He can elevate, warp around contests, and take creative angles to the rim.
His non-dunk finishing is surprisingly feathery given how explosive the dunking is, and he’s even flashed a usable floater that would be a unique counter for a player of his type. When you give him a path to the rim he’s either finishing a dunk, converting an easy layup, or getting fouled. For a player with his athleticism and off-ball gravity, that kind of efficiency makes him genuinely difficult to game plan for.
One of the more surprising strengths in Carr’s game is his shot-blocking ability. For a guard, he’s one of the better rim protectors you’ll find in the prospect pool, swatting 1.3 blocks per game and providing excellent weakside flashes. He knows how to leverage his wingspan and athleticism on the defensive end, rebounds well for his size, and was productive within Baylor’s defensive schemes. There’s still room to grow defensively, but it’s not for a lack of skill or effort.
Weaknesses
Carr’s defensive consistency is probably the biggest question mark heading into draft night. He flashes real disruptive ability but the sustained focus and attention to detail on that end isn’t always there. He can lose assignments off the ball and has a tendency to struggle navigating screens and staying connected. He’s still filling out his frame too, and the lack of strength and core stability shows up when physical defenders try to bully him through contact at the rim.
Offensively, his development was slow to get going. Two seasons at Tennessee didn’t do him many favors in terms of carving out a real role, and some of that time likely cost him reps he needed. He can still improve as an off-ball scorer, particularly in terms of timing and reading screens. Some of which just comes down to a lack of experience. His shot selection and decision making are inconsistent at times, and while his playmaking is functional, he’s not going to be running an offense anytime soon. Pick-and-roll passing in particular is an area with room to grow.
Defensively, the concerns get more specific when you dig into matchup data. Quicker, shiftier ball handlers can expose some lateral limitations, and while his length does a good job masking certain rotations, on-ball containment and pick-and-roll defense against pro-level guards is a real area of development. NBA guards are faster and better at exploiting angles than anything he faced in college.
Positional Fit
Carr projects as a two at the next level, though his physical tools give him a real chance to defend multiple positions in a way most guards can’t. For now he’s best utilized as a movement shooter with secondary playmaking ability, as he doesn’t have much experience running an offense. His basketball IQ and work ethic leave the door open for that to expand over time, but it’s not something you’d want to lean on early.
Defensively is where things get interesting. His length and explosiveness give him a chance to bother bigger wings, and his toughness and smarts should help that role grow as he adds strength and NBA experience.
Draft Projection
SB Nation mock draft: No. 20, San Antonio Spurs
In this mock, the San Antonio Spurs do it again and land a real blue chip prospect just outside of the lottery. Carr on the Spurs would be a match made in heaven. The Spurs can never have enough shooting alongside Victor Wembanyama, and Carr could lean into his strengths right now: movement shooting, off-ball movement, and slashes to the rim. While they do have a crowded backcourt, the Spurs have the personnel to play three-guard lineups with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, both of whom are bigger than 6’5.
