On the eve of his unofficial NBA debut, first-round draft pick Cameron Carr signed his Lakers rookie contract, the team announced Thursday.
The Lakers acquired Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard, in a swap of picks with the New York Knicks. Carr will play for the Lakers in summer league games beginning Friday in San Francisco.
Terms were not announced, but the standard rookie contract for the 24th pick this season is about $16.9 million over four seasons with team options in the third and fourth seasons, according to Spotrac.
Carr does not play the position most thought the Lakers would target in the draft. Desperate for a big man, the Lakers instead traded to get the shooting guard out of Baylor.
But Carr fits the bill with his athleticism and length. He recorded a 7-foot wingspan and 8-8 standing reach at the NBA combine, where he also impressed scouts during the five-on-five scrimmage with 30 points and seven rebounds on six-for-12 shooting from three-point range. At Baylor, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.
Carr’s father, Chris, played six seasons in the NBA, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 1997 NBA dunk contest.
The winner was Kobe Bryant.
With a chance to make his own NBA legacy, the 21-year-old Carr has found inspiration from his father.
“He was a good outlet for me because he’s been where I want to go, and he’s been down the road I want to go,” Carr told reporters at his introductory news conference. “He’s been a heck of a person to stand next to. Especially in tough times where sometimes I don’t know where I want to go. Man, I can lean on him and ask him. He’s been a lot of help for me.”
