Jake LaRavia slowed down after a hot start, but he’s finding his groove again with the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the course of his last five games, LaRavia has played 31.7 minutes per contest, averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 50.0% from the floor and 36.0% from deep on 5.0 three-point attempts per contest.
For three years, LaRavia was with the Memphis Grizzlies, yet they still decided to let him walk. He even played some decent minutes for them, but they couldn’t find a place for him in their long-term rotation.
Luckily, their trash is the Lakers’ treasure.
Lakers are getting the most out of Jake LaRavia
LaRavia is the exact type of player that the Lakers need alongside their star trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James. He has the perfect build and skill set to thrive.
There are even some arguments to be made for him earning the starting spot over Rui Hachimura, who has been a solid 3-and-D forward for the Lakers for the last few years.
Having a guy like LaRavia fills a lot of holes in the Lakers’ lineup. He can shoot the three-ball at a decent level, and his size makes him a solid defensive piece for JJ Redick to work with.
However, he also finds other ways of making himself available on the offensive end, playing off cuts and crashing the glass well. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 2.2 offensive rebounds per contest.
During his time in Memphis, LaRavia capped out at 20.9 minutes per contest during the 2024-25 season. It was the most he ever played for the Grizzlies, yet 47 games into the season, they traded him to the Sacramento Kings for a bag of chips.
Part of the reasoning behind the deal was likely the fact that Memphis didn’t want to pay him. They already had an expensive roster, and Santi Aldama needed a new contract.
Still, letting him go for pretty much nothing of substantial value was a tough decision. And now, he’s finding a groove as a primary rotation piece for one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
LA obviously had to spend a little bit of money in free agency, inking him to a two-year, $6 million contract, but it has paid dividends for them.
They’ve managed to make a LaRavia realization that Memphis failed to make in the three years that he was part of its organization. Now, Redick gets to make the most of LaRavia’s skill set on a nightly basis.