Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has taken on a bigger leadership role this offseason, following LeBron James‘ departure. Doncic’s most notable action so far has been deciding to host a minicamp in Slovenia from Aug. 20 to Aug. 24, but one of his Lakers teammates won’t be making that trip.
NBA insider Marc Stein has explained why rookie Cameron Carr won’t be able to attend Doncic’s minicamp.
“The aforementioned Doncic has chartered a plane and is paying the full bill to fly and host every single Lakers teammate in his native Slovenia later this month,” Stein wrote. “I’m told that 16 of the 17 players on the Lakers’ roster not named Doncic — from Austin Reaves to Walker Kessler to Bronny James to two-way signees Arthur Kaluma, Chris Manon and AK Okereke –have all committed to attend.
“League sources say it would have been 17 of 17 if just-drafted swingman Cameron Carr wasn’t required to participate in an official NBA rookie orientation that conflicts with what Doncic is calling a ‘team bonding trip,'” Stein added.
That sure is unfortunate. To go with the workouts, the itinerary reportedly includes playing golf, touring Ljubljana, and team bonding. It’s not the end of the world to miss this, but it’s preferable to be there. Doncic has been looking forward to welcoming all of his Lakers teammates to Slovenia.
“I can’t wait for my teammates to come to Ljubljana,” Doncic wrote. “I’m looking forward to the time together and excited to show them where I’m from. Grateful every day for all your support. Hope you’re having a great summer. See you soon.”
You just know Carr would have loved to make the trip, considering the kind of team-first character that he is. The 21-year-old will have to make do with just attending the team’s training camp this year.
Carr has had an otherwise fine start to life as a Laker. They acquired the former Baylor star’s rights after the New York Knicks selected him with the No. 24 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and that is looking like a good decision at this point.
Carr averaged 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game for the Lakers in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. He struggled a bit with his outside shot in Las Vegas, but shot 40.9% from beyond the arc in California. Carr has a smooth stroke, and if he can hit those threes at a good clip, he’ll have a long and successful career.
As for this rookie season, a Lakers front office executive has said Carr will have to win his minutes, as they have a deep roster. The executive does expect him to get a chance to play right away, as he is a worker.
Carr’s role will be simplified, though, as he’ll be asked to just defend and hit open shots. The Lakers are not going to put too much on his plate, which is the right approach. The Lakers have the likes of Doncic to take on the more difficult responsibilities.
