The Los Angeles Lakers may have found real value with Cameron Carr, after the rookie wing was selected 24th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft and then finished tied for fifth in NBA General Managers' biggest-steal voting. For a franchise that has had issues in recent drafts, that kind of outside validation matters.
The Lakers moved up one spot to get Carr, and the early reaction suggests that decision has already caught the eye of people around the league. In the NBA GM Survey, Brayden Burries won the biggest-steal category, but Carr's finish still points to positive buzz beyond Los Angeles.
A vote that supports the Lakers' bet
Since 2020, Max Christie was the best draft pick the Lakers have made, which shows why this selection has drawn attention. The recent record has not given the franchise much room for error, so a player who lands in the steal conversation straight away brings a different kind of hope.
Carr's own view fits that idea. He said, "It just takes one to set a new precedent," and that is the opportunity in front of him now.
Why the buzz matters
The point is not simply that Carr was drafted in the first round. It is that NBA General Managers already see a chance for him to outperform his slot, which is often the clearest sign that a team may have found value.
For the Lakers, that matters because recent draft outcomes have not always moved the needle. If Carr becomes the player the team believes he can be, then the 24th pick could end up looking like a much better result than a simple draft number suggests. The Lakers will hope Carr is that guy for them.
That is the next test now: turning league-wide respect into production. The survey has given Carr an early endorsement, and the Lakers will be looking for that to become something more substantial as his NBA path begins.
