Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia has reached something of a career crossroads. After an injury-plagued start to his career resulted in his rookie-scale contract being cut short, he found new life in Los Angeles—until a dreadful postseason brought the spotlight to his inconsistent jumper.
Though the Lakers have made several roster improvements that could make LaRavia expendable, it's far too soon to give up on the glue guy from a 53-win team.
LaRavia shot 32.1 percent from beyond the arc during the regular season and 28.6 percent during the playoffs. It's the unavoidable truth that will go a long way toward deciding his future in Los Angeles, as he must improve his efficiency and reliability from beyond the arc to fit with this new-look team.
For as true as that may be, LaRavia is a 6'7" and 235-pound wing who competes on defense, balances on and off-ball activity on offense, and is proven in a gap-filling role.
This past season, LaRavia appeared in all 82 games for the Lakers. With Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart all missing at least 18 outings, he was consistently plugged into demanding roles in their absence and then selflessly settled back into a less featured position once they returned.
Along the way, LaRavia displayed the defensive proficiency that Los Angeles desperately needs from a wing with size. Until they find that essential combination, writing him off would be a fool's errand.
Lakers still need Jake LaRavia—especially on defense
LaRavia finished the 2025-26 regular season with averages of 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 three-point field goal made in 25.1 minutes per game. He shot 45.9 percent from the field and 75.3 percent at the charity stripe.
Beyond the individual production, LaRavia was arguably the most reliable defender Los Angeles had in terms of both performance and availability—and they've yet to prove he won't need to be again.
LaRavia was tremendous in an off-ball defensive role. He ranked in the 92nd percentile in off-ball chaser defense, as well as the 92nd percentile in passing lane defense, per Basketball Index. With a true rim protector in Walker Kessler now patrolling the paint, LaRavia's efficacy should make it all the more challenging for opponents to find holes in the Lakers' defense.
When the time came for LaRavia to hold his own on the ball, he did exactly that. Per Basketball Index, he ranked in the 77th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 85th in post defense.
Jake LaRavia's defense and versatility are too essential to discard
LaRavia achieved all of this while ranking in the 94th percentile in defensive positional versatility—defending all five positions for at least 13.04 percent of his time on the court. Fast forward to 2026-27 and it's difficult to imagine another rostered player making the same impact for Los Angeles.
Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are promising, but they're unknowns with a combined 25 games of NBA experience. Quentin Grimes is a strong defender, but he's 6'4". Jarred Vanderbilt and Ziaire Williams are known for their defense, but their jumpers are just as questionable as LaRavia's.
Rumored Lakers target Jonathan Kuminga is seemingly being eyed to fill the void in question, but his defensive consistency hasn't exactly inspired boundless faith.
Furthermore, LaRavia is 24 and making just $6 million this coming season. He has upside to explore, a team-friendly contract, and a proven willingness to compete on defense. All of this adds up to Los Angeles needing to pose a simple question: Why would they give up on him now?
LaRavia has undeniable room for improvement, but giving up on a cost-effective under-25 player because they aren't perfect yet would be a careless mistake.
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