The Los Angeles Lakers took a calculated risk on the untapped potential of former first-round draft pick Jake LaRavia. His talent made him the No. 19 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, but an extensive injury history played a significant role in the final season of his rookie-scale contract being declined.
In his first season with the Lakers, however, LaRavia flipped his career narrative on its head by appearing in all 82 games.
LaRavia missed 47 games during his rookie season and was absent from another 47 during his second year in the NBA. He managed to play 66 games in 2024-25, but even then, he suffered injuries to his ankle, back, knee, and thumb.
After appearing in all 82 games in 2025-26, however, LaRavia spoke openly to Dan Woike of The Athletic about how he set and achieved his "biggest goal" of staying healthy.
“It was probably my biggest goal at the beginning of the season, just kind of how the first three seasons went,” he said. “Like, I just wanted to have a healthy, consistent, reliable year, and I was able to make that happen. So, I’m very excited about that.”
It's a truly tremendous feat for a player whose rookie-scale contract was effectively disregarded despite his talent due to his lack of ideal availability.
Jake LaRavia silences injury concerns by playing all 82 games in 2025-26
Los Angeles admittedly benefited from the unfortunate nature of LaRavia's injury-prone reputation entering the 2025 offseason. It signed him to what now looks like a bargain of a deal at two years and just $12 million with a flat annual salary of $6 million.
A fair case can be made that LaRavia has far exceeded the value of such a salary in 2025-26, as he not only appeared in every game, but proved invaluable on both ends of the floor.
Defensively, LaRavia provided value at the point of attack, as well as away from the ball. That proved essential to a Lakers team that lacked proven defensive commodities along the wings and thus called on their supporting players to, at times, step outside of their comfort zone.
LaRavia also ranked eighth on the team in scoring at 8.2 points per game, with Los Angeles going 4-0 when he scored at least 20 points and 20-10 when he reached 10.
Beyond the numbers, LaRavia simply plugged holes whenever they seemed to reveal themselves. He selflessly bounced between the starting lineup and the second unit depending on who was available during an injury-plagued team season, and never seemed to waver in his effort despite his ever-changing role.
At just 24 years of age with a full season remaining on his team-friendly contract, LaRavia has evolved from a calculated risk into a genius signing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google