Jake LaRavia was the Los Angeles Lakers’ first official free agent signing this past summer, an under-the-radar one as he agreed to a modest two-year, $12 million deal with a player option for the 2026-27 season.
While his signing may not have been groundbreaking, LaRavia has quickly proven to be one of the Lakers’ best and most reliable role players during the 2025-26 season campaign. Los Angeles has already endured several injuries to key rotation players, opening up the pathway to more minutes and responsibilities for LaRavia, who has largely delivered.
He started the season coming off the bench, but has been in the starting lineup as of late due to Rui Hachimura’s injury. Since being named a starter, LaRavia has increased his production across the board, particularly on the defensive end where he’s been solid against wings and on the defensive glass.
The 24-year-old acknowledged his versatility on the court and expressed his willingness to do whatever is asked of him, as seen on Spectrum SportsNet:
“I feel like I was able to do that early on in the season too with those early games that I had when LeBron was still out. But yeah, like I’ve said, I’m a man of many hats and kind of just seeing what my role is gonna be every night. You just saw in the New Orleans game, I took five shots, and then I come into this game and gotta be a little bit more aggressive and did just that. I’m gonna continue to play hard and control my effort, but everything else is based on the game.”
The Lakers revolve around Luka Doncic and LeBron James, but having role players like LaRavia who can fill multiple roles is crucial to their success. A defense’s first priority will always be to slow down L.A.’s stars, so players like LaRavia need to be ready to contribute when called upon.
There’s still about half of the regular season left to go, but if LaRavia continues to play this well then he will almost surely decline his player option for next year. With Doncic set to lead the franchise for the future, the organization would be smart to find ways to keep players like LaRavia around him.
Jake LaRavia gaining confidence through trust from team
LaRavia had a tough shooting stretch toward the end of 2025, struggling to hit outside jumpers despite having open looks. However, he has turned things around lately and he credited the confidence he’s gained through his work and the team.
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