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.
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.”
On the eve of his 25th birthday, Rams star receiver Puka Nacua said he was working on becoming a better person — and that if he continued on that journey the potential massive contract extension that appears to have stalled will take care of itself.
Nacua on Thursday addressed reporters for the first time since checking into a Malibu rehab facility in March. Nacua sought help after a string of incidents, which included a December incident that led to a civil lawsuit.
“Something that I feel like I’ve learned is, it’s OK to ask for support,” Nacua said after participating in an organized-team activity workout in Woodland Hills. “And then to recognize the platform that I have in being a professional football player, and trying to use that for the betterment of myself and for those around me.”
With an offense that features Nacua, quarterback Matthew Stafford — the reigning NFL most valuable player — and receiver Davante Adams, and a defense that includes edge rusher Jared Verse and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Rams are regarded as a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
Last season, Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions and was voted All-Pro. The 2023 fifth-round draft pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he is eligible for an extension that could surpass the $120-million deal the Seattle Seahawks gave receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
But incidents last season and this offseason caused the Rams to put off talks about awarding Nacua an extension.
During a livestream last December, Nacua criticized NFL officials and made a gesture regarded as antisemitic. Nacua apologized, but after the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks a few days later, Nacua criticized officials in a social media post from the locker room. The NFL fined him $25,000.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua smiles after speaking to reporters during organized team activities at the training facility in Woodland Hills on Thursday.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
His attorney has denied that Nacua made an antisemitic remark and said the bite resulted from “horseplay.”
On Thursday, when asked about the allegations, Nacua declined to comment specifically.
“With it being an ongoing legal battle, out of respect for the other party involved, don’t really have much to speak on,” he said, adding: “A moment for me to learn from, kind of some of the situations I was putting myself in, and then also having just an awareness of how I’m conducting myself in and out of this football field.”
Nacua said he made the decision to seek help with the support from those in his “inner circle.”
“I like to think of myself as a pretty happy outgoing guy that enjoyed life,” he said. “But there also were some difficulties of just being in this professional sport and just throughout my entire life.”
The rehab program was a “short stint,” but Nacua said he continues to meet with a team therapist and has adopted tools such as journaling.
Nacua, who became a father in October, said he was also motivated to continue self-improvement work as a way of sharing with and teaching his son.
“The great things I’ve been able to accomplish and to enjoy those moments, but then also to teach him in some of the mistakes that I’ve made,” he said. “So there’s an opportunity for him to learn before some of those wrong decisions can be made.”
Nacua’s “security in being able to be authentically honest about” seeking help was admirable, coach Sean McVay said.
“I think there’s real strength in some of the vulnerabilities,” McVay said, “and I’m really proud of him.”
Stafford, 38, said he talks with Nacua “nonstop” and that Nacua has looked “fantastic” during workouts.
“He’s a great person, a great kid, and just doing everything I can to try and give advice when it’s needed, or also just be his buddy too,” Stafford said. “I’m doing everything I can — I think everyone is, to just support him. … We’re happy he’s back doing his thing.”
Stafford spoke for the first time since signing a one-year, $55-million extension that keeps him under contract with the Rams through the 2027 season.
“Happy to have … next year taken care of if I decide to play — and they still want me back,” Stafford quipped. “Just excited to get that behind me, cause I just want to come out here and play and not think about that kind of stuff.
“So great to get that done sooner rather than later.”
Before Nacua’s string of incidents, the receiver also appeared on track to receive a possible extension before the 2026 season began.
Now, the Rams are expected to let him play out the season, and then possibly use the franchise tag for 2027 before making a long-term commitment.
Nacua said he could not imagine playing for another team.
“If I can continue to improve as a person, I know the coaches and the people around me are helping me improve as a football player,” he said. “So those are the things I can control, and hopefully allow those other things to handle themselves.”
