Meet Cameron Carr, Lakers rookie acquired in Knicks draft-day deal

Follow along for every pick of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Baylor guard Cameron Carr, who was initially drafted by the New York Knicks with the 24th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center.

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.

Carr 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. He is the son of former NBA player Chris Carr, who played for six different teams in six seasons.

The Lakers moved up one spot, sending the 25th overall pick and cash considerations to the Knicks. Los Angeles picked Spain guard Sergio De Larrea, the Spanish Super Tournament MVP for New York.

The Lakers have not drafted in the first round since 2024. They drafted Lachlan Olbrich in the second round last year, but he was sent to the Chicago Bulls.

Lakers draft grade: B+

USA TODAY senior basketball reporter Lorenzo Reyes writes: "They did have to reportedly trade up one slot to secure him, but former Baylor guard Cameron Carr should be an excellent fit for a Lakers team that could always use another scoring threat to pair alongside Luka Dončić. That’s especially magnified because Austin Reaves might very well opt out of his player option and test the market as an unrestricted free agent.

"Carr is a dynamic athlete who tested extremely well during the NBA combine, but he also drained 37.4% of his 3s last season at Baylor. Hand it to L.A. for acting decisively and capitalizing on Carr’s mini slide down the board."

What's next for the Lakers?

Rob Pelinka, the team's president of basketball operations, and the front office will still have other decisions to make to push the organization forward.

It will be the first time since 1979 that the Buss family was not the majority owner of the team, after the first full offseason under Mark Walter. Walter obtained majority ownership for $10 billion. The Buss family still owns 15% of the franchise. The sale was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors in October 2025.

The Lakers must construct a winning strategy in order for the team to take another step forward and back on the path to a championship with Luka Doncic as the focal point.

The Lakers finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They got the best of the Houston Rockets in the first round, winning the first three games of the series before closing it out in Game 6. Then they were swept in the conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder without Doncic available due to injury.

The order in which the Lakers make moves this offseason will be telling for the direction in which the franchise is trying to go.

Will the Lakers sign LeBron James?

LeBron James is set to become a free agent when the league year ends on June 30. He will have one of a handful of options to make regarding his basketball future.

If James decides he wants to continue playing and return for his 24th season in the NBA, the Lakers will have to explore the option of whether they want to keep him in Los Angeles. He would immediately become priority No. 1.

The Lakers retain the rights to their own free agents, but the NBA does place a placeholder salary (known as a cap hold) against the team's salary cap to prevent other teams, such as L.A. in this case, from signing any other free agents before re-signing their own to avoid going over the cap.

James is expected to have a $57.75 million cap hold.

Will Austin Reaves return to Lakers?

Reaves has been featured as a star player on the team’s roster, but he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and could potentially get $40 million annually. 

Reporter Dan Woike of The Athletic was told that Reaves could have interest from the Brooklyn Nets and is expected to receive a four-year deal worth $178.5 million. The Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks are expected to be among the other teams interested in acquiring Reaves. 

Both teams could create space to make competitive offers for the 6-foot-5 shooting guard.

Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber will also be unrestricted free agents. Deandre Ayton has a player option and could opt into another year on his contract with Los Angeles. He could also decide to become an unrestricted free agent.

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes