Lakers rookie Cameron Carr clears injury to face Raptors
The 21-year-old guard enters the league's injury report as available after a preseason oblique strain kept him out of the season opener.
By Giulia Donovan ·
Cameron Carr will likely take the court for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. He has been officially cleared to play after a right oblique strain kept him in street clothes for the team's season-opening win over the Golden State Warriors almost two weeks ago.
The Lakers designated Carr, a 2026 first-round pick, as available on Saturday afternoon. This move allows the 21-year-old guard to make his NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors. He spent the previous week participating in three practices with the G League's Coachella Valley Lakers to shake off the nerves that accompanied his first days in the team's locker room.
Carr selected the No. 24 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. He joins the Lakers as the son of former NBA guard Chris Carr. The lanky wing stood out at Baylor last season, where he averaged 18.9 points per game on 49.4 percent shooting from the field. He also connected on 37.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the three-point line.
His recent form has shown he can handle the pace of professional basketball. Carr played seven games during the NBA Summer League and the California Classic this summer. In that span, he averaged 17.4 points per game on 42.3 percent shooting. In the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 19 points while shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and 3-for-7 from deep.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Carr is physically ready for the challenge. Redick outlined what he expects from the rookie if he sees action against the Raptors. "If he gets an opportunity, hopefully he shoots the ball well and all that," Redick said. "But I think again, with all our young guys, continuing to learn our stuff, … be good in our shell, be good with being a low man, be good with off-ball physicality, be good at the point of attack, crash, make shots, that's what we need from him."
Carr described his debut opportunity as a blessing. He said he is eager to make a play, secure a deflection, or record a steal to settle his nerves. "I feel physically pretty good," Carr said on Friday afternoon. "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."
The rookie has focused on strengthening his body since joining the franchise. He has spent five months in the Lakers' weight room and working on 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."
The Lakers also added center Lawson Lovering to their roster on Wednesday. The 23-year-old signed a two-way contract after hearing the news in the morning. He packed his bags within hours and began practicing with the Coachella Valley Lakers immediately. Lovering averaged 7.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the Memphis Hustle in the G League last season.
Lovering expressed excitement about setting screens for Luka Doncic and studying the habits of center Walker Kessler. He views his role as a two-way player who performs essential defensive tasks. "Being a dirty work guy, I'm a two-way guy, so not expected to have a huge role, which I never really thought I was going to, but just do dirty work and do the things that I'm asked to do every day," Lovering said.
The Lakers face the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. Carr and Lovering are both active for the game. Carr's status changed from injured to available on Saturday, while Lovering has been practicing with the G League affiliate since joining the team on Wednesday.
