Cameron Carr shines in preseason debut vs. Kings

Neither Carr nor Thiero played in Wednesday’s win over the Warriors, and both are considered day-to-day moving forward. Their absences mean the Lakers will stick with a nine-man rotation, with backup center Kevon Looney as the ninth man.

Carr, who played well during Summer League, was ruled out for Wednesday’s opener with a strained oblique. The good news is that a return to action may not be far away, with the rookie now considered day-to-day, according to Redick. Carr should slide into the back end of the Lakers’ perimeter rotation once cleared to play.

The rookie’s debut will have to wait a little longer. With Carr and Adou Thiero (knee) unavailable, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams will be the primary wings available off the bench.

Carr and the Lakers fell short in their quest to reach Sunday’s Summer League title game, losing to the Warriors, 92-88. The rookie had a tough day from outside the arc, making just one of his eight attempts. However, Carr was still able to put up 17 points, and his overall summer performance was excellent. While the Lakers did load up on players in free agency, Carr has the tools needed to be an effective 3-and-D wing immediately. And there’s a lot to like about his long-term ceiling as well.

Chicago’s Caleb Wilson had the better individual game, but Carr was part of the team that won Thursday’s matchup by a 105-82 final score. The 24th overall pick in last month’s draft has looked ready to contribute immediately for the Lakers, and there is never not a need for capable 3-and-D wings in today’s NBA. With the Lakers now 4-0 and headed to the semifinals, it’s unlikely that Carr gets shut down for Saturday’s game. If they get to the final on Sunday, good luck getting him to sit down.

Despite a right thumb injury, Carr led the way offensively as the Lakers moved to 3-0 in Las Vegas. His eight-point flurry to end the third quarter blew open Tuesday’s “Battle of Los Angeles,” and the rookie wing has been consistent on both ends of the floor. Even with the additions the Lakers made to their roster this offseason, Carr looks like a player who can have an immediate impact under head coach JJ Redick. Fantasy managers should definitely keep an eye on him during the preseason and for the rest of summer league.

Coming off a good run at the California Classic, Carr performed well in his first appearance at the Vegas Summer League. The lone negative for the first-round pick out of Baylor was his three-point shooting, as he made just one of five attempts. However, perimeter shooting should not be a concern when evaluating Carr’s chances of playing rotation minutes as a rookie. And he’s played well enough this summer to raise questions about whether the Lakers will shut him down before the conclusion of the Vegas Summer League.

With first-round pick Cameron Carr (five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block) playing just 13 minutes in the Lakers’ final game of the California Classic, Mañon was the team’s best scoring option on Monday. And the two-way contract wing made the most of his opportunity, shooting 70 percent from the field and recording a complete stat line. Given his contract status, Mañon is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to make an impact in fantasy basketball next season. However, his first step is to surpass the nine NBA appearances he made during his rookie season.

Carr’s second game of the summer was even better than his first, with the first-round pick shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. While the assists weren’t there, he committed just one turnover and had good command of the action throughout the Lakers’ 93-91 double-overtime victory. With the Lakers taking a drastically changed roster into the 2026-27 season, Carr’s wing scoring is likely to earn him early opportunities to contribute.

Carr, the Lakers’ 24th pick in the most recent NBA Draft, was the team’s best scorer on Friday. The bulk of his production came from beyond the arc, where he nearly converted half of his looks on double-digit attempts. He didn’t provide much else in terms of box score numbers. However, he could potentially grow into a role in the regular-season rotation if the level of shooting he displayed against Golden State is sustainable.