Cameron Carr on Lakers trade for him at draft:

NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting chosen someplace between 15 and 20 in the first spherical on Tuesday evening.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr might have requested for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the twenty fourth decide, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. despatched the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken twenty fifth, and money concerns to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news convention Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his ideas have been when he came upon he could be taking part in for the Lakers.

“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, met Carr at the power on Friday but didn’t converse with the media during the news convention.

It meant Pelinka couldn’t be requested about Austin Reaves agreeing to re-sign with the Lakers on a four-year, $185-million deal, or about how conversations are going with free agent LeBron James.

But NBA guidelines prohibit staff officers from commenting on something during the free company moratorium, which gained’t be lifted until July 6.

So, this day was all about the 21-year-old Carr and how impressed he was being in the Lakers’ building.

“Walking in the building, first thing you notice is the rich tradition of the people that have been here before you,” Carr said. “It’s a moment of happiness. As a kid, you always dreamed of walking across that stage and accomplishing everything you wanted to. Man, it just felt good to walk in the gym and look at the people that came before me. Now I’m in their shoes.”

Carr was seen by NBA scouts as athletic with his 42½-inch vertical leap and as having a good leap shot.

During his sophomore season at Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 factors, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 34 video games. He shot 49.4% from the sphere, 37.4% from three-point vary and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

But Carr shortly talked about how taking part in protection can be his calling card with the Lakers.

“Stepping into an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier,” Carr said. “I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”

Carr always had his dad, Chris Carr, to lean on during his journey as a basketball participant. Having him as a mentor was so useful because his father spent six seasons in the NBA. His most well-known second got here in 1997, when he grew to become the runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the slam dunk contest.

Now father and son have one thing else in common: making the NBA.

“I’ve always wanted to be better than him,” Carr said. “I’ve always been behind, so I want to show he’s put a lot of work in me becoming a better man. So I feel the only way I can credit him and show I’m thankful for him is by putting in the work and using it every single day. He was a heck of a player, so it’s some big footsteps I’ve got to follow and a long journey.

“It’s good motivation. My ‘why’ is just to be better and show people I’m better than a lot of people that are put in front of me. I feel like that’s the chip on my shoulder, or the fire under my feet.”