The Los Angeles Lakers made a savvy move on draft night, trading up one spot to select Cameron Carr out of Baylor with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The deal with the reigning champion New York Knicks gave Los Angeles a player several analysts believe slipped much further than his talent warranted.
How the Trade Came Together
According to the NBA Draft broadcast and hats, the Knicks used their No. 24 pick on Baylor wing Cameron Carr before dealing him away in a trade with the Lakers, who sent back the No. 25 pick along with cash considerations. The Lakers went into the draft holding just one pick at No. 25 overall, but moved up to No. 24 in a deal with the Knicks for cash to secure Carr. The Knicks then used the No. 25 pick on Spanish wing Sergio De Larrea, who was subsequently flipped to the Dallas Mavericks for additional draft capital.
The move fit into a broader pattern for New York on draft night. Coming off their first NBA championship in 53 years, the Knicks opted out of the No. 24 selection and eventually the first round altogether, picking up several second-round picks and cash considerations in the process β a clear effort to retain their championship roster while staying below the league's punitive second tax apron.
Who Is Cameron Carr?
Carr's path to the first round wasn't a straight line. After playing sparingly across two seasons with Tennessee, Carr broke out in his lone season at Baylor in 2025-26, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.9 steals on 49.4% shooting from the field and 37.4% from three-point range over 34 games, culminating in All-Big 12 Third Team honors.
His physical tools stood out as much as his production. Carr measures 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, posted the second-highest vertical leap among guards at 42.5 inches, and is considered a legitimate lob threat with the tools to become a good perimeter defender. His 7-foot-1 wingspan also helped him average 1.3 blocks per game during his single season at Baylor. NBA.com's draft profile noted he ranked fourth in the Big 12 in scoring and finished in the conference's top 10 in field-goal percentage, three-pointers made per game, and blocked shots, while leading Baylor outright with 45 total blocks.
NBA Insiders Call It a Steal
Reaction to the pick was immediate and overwhelmingly positive among draft analysts. NBA insider Brett Siegel had posted minutes before the selection that he was "a little surprised" Carr had not yet been taken, writing that "someone is going to get a steal late in this draft with him." After the Lakers' pick was announced, he added: "The Lakers have moved up one spot to #24 overall and are taking Cameron Carr. What a steal for the Lakers".
Comparisons to established NBA wings followed quickly. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman compared Carr to Devin Vassell, who helped the San Antonio Spurs reach the NBA Finals in 2026, while other analysts drew comparisons to Devin Vassell or a smaller version of Mikal Bridges, though not yet at the same defensive level entering the league.
A Notable Lakers Family Connection
The pick carries some nostalgic significance for Lakers fans. Carr has a bit of a connection to the organization, as his father Chris Carr came in second to Kobe Bryant in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. Cameron is also represented by Bill Duffy of BDA Sports, the same agency that represents Luka DonΔiΔ, giving him an immediate tie into the Lakers' locker room dynamics.
How Carr Fits the Lakers' Roster
The selection addresses a specific organizational need rather than the team's most glaring weakness. It's no secret the Lakers need to address the center position this offseason, but Carr is a versatile player with significant upside that the front office found tough to pass up at this point in the draft. NBA.com's Lakers draft profile had framed Los Angeles' offseason priorities around two major needs: frontcourt help around Luka DonΔiΔ and perimeter shooting that can benefit from DonΔiΔ's gravity β and Carr checks the second box clearly.
Carr joins an already talented Lakers backcourt featuring superstar Luka DonΔiΔ, rising star Austin Reaves, and defensive-minded veteran Marcus Smart, giving the team a young, athletic wing who can theoretically space the floor and defend multiple backcourt positions. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has been vocal about the franchise's shifting roster-building philosophy heading into this draft. "I think in this salary cap system, player development is going to be a huge thing to lean into for success ultimately," Pelinka said.
For continued, real-time coverage of NBA Draft trades, picks, and team-by-team grades, the official NBA.com news desk remains an authoritative source for tracking developments throughout the rest of the draft.
What Comes Next
With the Lakers' roster far from set heading into the 2026-27 season β including uncertainty around whether LeBron James and Austin Reaves will return β it remains unclear exactly what kind of workload awaits Carr in his rookie campaign. Given how aggressively the front office moved just to secure him at No. 24, though, it's clear the organization sees Carr as a building block worth investing in as the Lakers continue shaping their roster around DonΔiΔ for the years ahead.