​Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesRob Pelinka has given Los Angeles Lakers fans another reason to be excited about rookie Cameron Carr after revealing the 24th overall pick has already started building a connection with Luka Doncic.Pelinka praised Carr’s shooting, athleticism, character and willingness to learn during the Lakers’ start-of-season press conference. The rookie is preparing for his first NBA season after three years of college basketball.Carr enjoyed a breakout junior season at Baylor in 2025-26, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 37.4% from three-point range. He finished with 642 points, the fifth-most in a single season in Baylor history.Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesCameron Carr is already catching Luka Doncic’s attentionPelinka believes Carr’s talent was obvious, but the Lakers were equally impressed by what they discovered about him away from the court.“Extraordinary talent. Basketball tools are easy to see. We did a deep dive into him as a person, and we’re really satisfied with the character and what came out in terms of the work ethic.”The Lakers president then revealed that Carr has already been getting involved alongside Doncic during pickup games.“What we’ve seen here with Cam is [that] he’s an extraordinary athlete and an incredible shooter. But he’s also a very curious and inquisitive learner. Even in the pickup game right behind this curtain today, he was on Luka’s team, and Luka was looking for him because he was knocking down corner threes, had a couple back cut lobs where Luka threw it up. So we’re super excited about him.”That early connection could be useful as Carr competes for minutes in JJ Redick’s rotation. Quentin Grimes is currently in the starting small forward role, while Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams are also competing for opportunities.Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesRedick has also been impressed by Carr, saying the rookie wants to play, learn and compete, while revealing he was ranked significantly higher on the Lakers’ draft board than No. 24.Carr also impressed during Summer League, averaging 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist across seven appearances. He scored at least 20 points twice, including a 26-point outing on July 5.With training camp approaching, Carr now has an opportunity to turn the early praise from Pelinka and Redick into a genuine role alongside Doncic and the Lakers’ established stars.Read more:LA Lakers signed the type of player who is so rare they ‘don’t exist’, says Rob PelinkaRob Pelinka says LA Lakers ‘gracefully’ agreed exit with LeBron James ahead of his 76ers moveBrian Windhorst explains why LA Lakers would rather keep Bronny James ahead of two of his teammates