As the 24th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, guard Cameron Carr joins the Los Angeles Lakers after a dazzling junior year at Baylor University.
Carr was named to the All-Big 12 third team, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range in 34 games. He finished with 642 points, the fifth-most in a season in program history.
The 6-foot-5 Carr played at Tennessee during his freshman year before redshirting last season after suffering a left thumb injury in November 2024. He also earned a selection to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team for his play with the Bears.
Carr debuted with the Lakers in summer league, averaging 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist while shooting 42.3% from the field
in seven appearances. He scored 20 or more points twice, including a 26-point performance on July 5.
The 21-year-old was highly touted out of college and should have the opportunity to compete for rotation minutes in training camp next month. The team was ecstatic to add him to the roster and is excited to see him take the court next season.
Throughout September, Rookie Wire is compiling some of the most interesting facts about each first-round pick in an effort to further introduce the incoming draft class ahead of the 2026-27 season
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Dunking
Carr revealed in a video posted by the Lakers that he threw down his first dunk as a sophomore in high school after he grew to about 5 feet, 11 inches. He got hurt after he began dunking, and by the time he fully recovered, he could register a 40-inch vertical, which he credited to God. In fact, this year, Carr recorded the second-highest max vertical jump at the combine (42 1/2 inches).
No. 43
Carr wore No. 43 in high school and throughout his three years in college. He wears it because his father, Chris, had it throughout his six-year NBA career and his sister, Christianna, wore it in college. His father wore it because his mother gave birth to him when she was 43. Chris Carr was the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest runner-up to Kobe Bryant.
"(It is) a family number," Carr said in July, via the NBA on X. "My dad wore it in the NBA. My sister wore it in college, so I'm just continuing the legacy."
Ja’Kobe Walter
A four-star recruit, Carr attended the Link Academy (Missouri) for his last two years of high school after starting at Manhattan (Kansas). He played alongside former Bear and Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter and won the 2023 GEICO Nationals championship as a senior.
Dalton Knecht
Carr played with new teammate Dalton Knecht as a freshman at Tennessee during the 2023-24 season. Though he played sparingly that year, Knecht was a consensus All-American and led the Volunteers to the Sweet 16. Carr said he and Knecht maintained a strong friendship since that season and is eager to play with him again.
LeBron James
Carr has said in the past that his favorite athlete to watch growing up was former Laker LeBron James. He expressed excitement about playing with him, but the future Hall of Famer, of course, opted to sign with Philadelphia. Carr even said that he was so focused on preparing for summer league, that he missed James' decision and was one of the last to find out he'd be leaving the team.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 5 fun facts: Get to know Lakers' Cameron Carr before rookie season
