The Los Angeles Lakers made Jake LaRavia their first signing in free agency, agreeing to a two-year, $12 million deal with the forward. LaRavia is an interesting acquisition, and Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka believes he is a perfect fit for a team coached by JJ Redick.
“Jake is a high-IQ two-way player with ideal skills for a JJ Redick basketball system,” Pelinka said. “He’s a disruptive defender who uses his size and physicality to create turnovers. Offensively, he can score at all three levels and has a knack for creating space for himself and his teammates. Being just 23 years old, we think Jake has significant basketball upside, which will be honed nicely in our Lakers basketball development program.”
LaRavia averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings in 2024-25. The 23-year-old shot 47.5% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc.
LaRavia will have a positive impact on the offensive end for the Lakers thanks to his IQ and skill. If he can shoot as well as he did from beyond the arc last season, they’ll be extremely happy about this acquisition.
As for the other end of the court, LaRavia isn’t as good a defender as Dorian Finney-Smith, who departed for the Houston Rockets. He can hold his own, though, and as Pelinka pointed out, is a disruptor.
Still, some were underwhelmed about LaRavia being a key addition for the Lakers. He isn’t a big name, and the numbers don’t jump off the screen either. Those who have faced off against LaRavia recognize he’s a pretty good player, though. Damian Lillard came to his defense after Gilbert Arenas ripped the Lakers for the signing.
LaRavia, the 19th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, will get a chance to prove critics like Arenas wrong when the 2025-26 season commences. He is excited to be a Laker and will be keen on impressing from the get-go.
The Lakers also officially signed Deandre Ayton on Sunday, and Pelinka spoke glowingly of the center. Ayton, LaRavia, and Adou Thiero, the 36th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, are the three notable additions to the roster this offseason.
Do these three make the Lakers a serious title contender? Probably not. The Lakers struggled defensively in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves and have only gotten weaker on that end of the floor with Finney-Smith’s departure.
They need to bring in at least one quality wing defender, and they do have the pieces to pull off a trade for one. It will be interesting to see if they make that move and who they bring in.
