Lakers' JJ Redick Says Cameron Carr Was 'Much Higher' Than No. 24 on Team's Draft Board

The Los Angeles Lakers believe they got a real steal when they drafted guard Cameron Carr with the No. 24 overall pick in June.

"The guy wants to play, he wants to learn, he wants to compete. Where he was on our board, he was not No. 24. He was much higher," head coach JJ Redick told reporters Thursday during the team's media day. "So we feel very fortunate that we were able to get Cam. ... We feel very fortunate to get him and be able to develop Cam as an NBA player."

Carr, 21, averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks per game last season at Baylor, shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three. It was a breakout campaign from Carr after injuries contributed to a pair of injury-impacted seasons at Tennessee.

The Lakers, meanwhile, continued their ongoing rebuild around Luka Dončić this offseason, making wholesale changes to the roster.

NBA legend LeBron James departed in free agency. Austin Reaves re-upped on a massive extension. The frontcourt was reworked, with the additions of Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Ziaire Williams offsetting the losses of Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes departing. The backcourt also saw big changes, with players like Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Matisse Thybulle and Carr and replacing Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart.

Veterans Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt are back, as are young players like Adou Thiero, Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. That trio will be hoping to earn bigger roles in the 2026-27 campaign. They'll be battling Carr in that regard.

These Lakers were clearly built to optimize Dončić's unique skill set, though it remains fair to question if their offseason moves brought them any closer to the NBA's elite.

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