Jake LaRavia has experienced something of a 180-degree shift in the way his value has been interpreted and spoken about since the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Once heralded as a bargain signing who checked essential boxes for the Los Angeles Lakers, LaRavia has found himself on the receiving end of criticism when opportunity should be the topic of conversation.
Thankfully, the Lakers' offseason decisions have left LaRavia with a direct line to silencing his critics once and for all. It all begins with remembering how he shot in 2024-25.
LaRavia turned in a solid 2025-26 regular season, playing relatively well on both ends of the floor. For a Lakers team that was constantly changing its rotations to accommodate its injury-induced needs, he operated as something of a glue guy, particularly when one considers that he appeared in all 82 games.
Unfortunately, it's become rather common on social media for LaRavia to be the butt of jokes that downplay his abilities and impact.
Lakers division of labor pic.twitter.com/BOPh7THgl9
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) July 9, 2026
Fixing a broken jump shot clearly isn't as simple as wishing it into existence, but if he's able to, then LaRavia should have a chance to play big minutes and thrive in his role in 2026-27.
Lakers' lack of tall wings leaves door wide open for Jake LaRavia
Los Angeles' offseason strategy has seemingly implied that they have faith in the wings on the roster. They parted with LeBron James, who's listed at 6'9", and Rui Hachimura, who's listed at 6'8". In their place, they brought in big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and guards Quentin Grimes, who's listed at 6'4", and Collin Sexton, who's listed at 6'3".
Rookie Cameron Carr is a promising 3-and-D prospect with a massive 7'0.75" wingspan, but if he faces an expected learning curve, LaRavia will have a manageable path to a big role.
LaRavia is listed at 6'7" and 235 pounds with a 6'9.5" wingspan. That gives him quite an advantage over his teammates, as the Lakers only have four perimeter players other than him who stand at 6'6" or taller: Luka Doncic, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Doncic is the franchise player who primarily plays on the ball, Knecht has received criticism for his defensive inconsistency, and Thiero and Vanderbilt are both worse shooters than LaRavia. In other words: There's a realistic chance that LaRavia will be Los Angeles' best option for 3-and-D wing play.
The bad news is that LaRavia shot just 32.1 percent from beyond the arc in 2025-26. The good news is that he buried 42.3 percent of his 2.2 attempts per game in 2024-25, which suggests that he may be a better shooter than what he displayed this past season.
If LaRavia can get back to that level in 2026-27, then he'll at least be up for consideration for significant minutes in a rotation that needs a tall wing to step up.
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