Cameron Carr makes a strong first impression in Lakers’ summer league opener

He needed one shot to warm up. Then almost nothing could stop Cameron Carr.

In his unofficial NBA debut, the first-round draft pick flashed the type of three-point shooting that could turn him into a valuable player for the Lakers, scoring 19 points on seven-for-15 shooting in their 104-72 summer league loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

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Carr missed his first shot, a nearly straightaway three-pointer. But he bounced back quickly by hitting a catch-and-shoot three from the wing on an offensive rebound. He knocked down the next one. He held his thumb and forefinger in a circle over his eye in celebration.

The Lakers spent the first days of free agency addressing their shooting deficiencies. While Luke Kennard signed a two-year contract with Phoenix, the Lakers reloaded with guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton and versatile power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. The three free-agent additions came in a flurry Wednesday after the Lakers pulled off an aggressive trade for center Walker Kessler.

Read more: Lakers trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy, draft picks

The moves were meant to reshape the roster to maximize superstar Luka Doncic, who will take the reins with the departure of LeBron James.

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After leading the offense at Baylor, Carr knows his assignment supporting Doncic with the Lakers will be simpler: cut, run and dunk, he said at his introductory news conference.

And, for the guard who shot 37.4% from three-point range at Baylor last season, his job is to knock down shots.

“If you can shoot the ball,” Carr said with a slight smile in New York the day before the draft, “you’re wanted by a lot of people.”

The Lakers wanted the 6-foot-5 guard so badly that they executed a draft-day pick swap with the New York Knicks. Carr was projected to be a mid-first-round pick but slipped to No. 24 in what many believed to be the deepest draft in a generation.

Lakers rookie Cameron Carr shoots a three-pointer over Golden State’s Lachlan Olbrich during the first half of the California Classic on Friday. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

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Publish date : 2026-07-04 04:55:00

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