Lakers Guard: Debut set after injury scare

Cameron Carr sat in the Lakers locker room in street clothes for the team’s season opener, watching his teammates beat the Golden State Warriors. The rookie guard missed that game due to a right oblique strain suffered in the preseason. He is set to make his NBA debut Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena, following a clearance issued Saturday afternoon.

Coach JJ Redick confirmed Carr’s availability during a pregame press conference. Carr, the No. 24 pick in the 2026 draft, spent the previous week participating in three practices with the G League’s Coachella Valley Lakers. He officially exited the league-mandated injury report on Saturday, ending a two-week wait for his first professional appearance.

The 21-year-old guard described his physical condition as good. “I feel physically pretty good,” Carr said on Friday. “I’m excited. Just ready to get the nerves out, make one big play, do something good, get a deflection, get a steal, do something that’ll get my body moving, get the nerves out.” He called the opportunity to play a “blessing.”

Carr played at Baylor last season, where he averaged 18.9 points per game on 49.4% shooting. He also hit 37.4% of his three-point attempts. His summer stats showed similar production, with 17.4 points per game on 42.3% shooting across seven games in the NBA Summer League and the California Classic. In the preseason opener against Sacramento, he scored 19 points while shooting 7-for-13 from the field.

Redick outlined his expectations for the rookie if he enters the game. “If he gets an opportunity, hopefully he shoots the ball well and all that,” Redick said. The coach emphasized defensive responsibilities, noting that young players must learn the system, act as low men, and show physicality off the ball. He also highlighted the need for Carr to crash rebounds and make shots.

Carr is the son of former NBA guard Chris Carr. Since joining the Lakers, he has focused on increasing his strength and developing his defensive skills. “I definitely feel stronger,” Carr said. “I feel like I’m just, every day, just taking and learning more and more and and and picking up as much as I can, becoming a better defender day by day. A lot of great vets in front of me, so (I’m) just listening and learning from them.”

Lawson Lovering, a two-way center, signed with the Lakers on Wednesday. The 23-year-old spent the G League season with the Memphis Hustle, averaging 7.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He joined the Coachella Valley Lakers for practices immediately after signing. Lovering said he looks forward to setting screens for Luka Doncic and observing center Walker Kessler’s daily routines to improve his own play. He described his role as a “dirty work guy” focused on competing hard in the small minutes he receives.