After a dud of an offseason last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers could not afford a repeat performance if they hope to compete in an ever-improving Western Conference. Up to this point though, Jake LaRavia is the only signing that has been made by general manager Rob Pelinka.
LaRavia is an upside play by L.A. as a 23-year-old forward at 6’8″ who has displayed some upside as a 3-and-D player. At the conclusion of his third season, he averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 47.5% from the field and 42.3% percent from 3-point range.
This signing was also made possible by Dorian Finney-Smith walking to the Houston Rockets, opening up a $14.1 million mid-level exception. The Lakers used a piece of that exception to give a two-year, $12 million contract and it was confirmed to be a fully-guaranteed deal with no player or team options:
This may have already been reported elsewhere and I missed it, but sources tell me Jake LaRavia's deal with the Lakers is a guaranteed 2 year deal, no player or team option on it.
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) July 1, 2025
While LaRavia is an intriguing option to replace Finney-Smith, more roster moves are needed to bolster the Lakers’ defense. Finney-Smith is still a tough loss regardless as Pelinka gave up three second-round picks for his services and the impact was felt immediately when he arrived.
Although Pelinka mentioned wanting to get younger on the wing and LaRavia is a step in that direction, he is more of a flier than a sure thing. In terms of role, the California native will be a spot-up shooter to knock down open looks courtesy of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves while holding his own on the defensive end.
One would expect his 3-point volume to go up as his attempts have gone down since his sophomore season, dropping from 4.5 to 2.7. The hope is that 42.3% from distance translates to more shots and his perimeter defense will be worth monitoring, but he is certainly not viewed as a negative defender.
All in all, LaRavia is a low-risk, two-year investment from Pelinka and company that can hopefully thrive next to three ball-dominant players.
Jake LaRavia reacts to signing with Lakers in free agency
Leading up to free agency kicking off, Jake LaRavia was not connected to the Lakers and he previously expressed a desire to remain with the Sacramento Kings, the team he got traded to last season.
That is a narrative that checks out with Rob Pelinka as he commonly signs or trades players not connected to L.A. It does not hurt to add more youth around newest star Luka Doncic and LaRavia took to social media to share his excitement about signing with the Lakers.
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