The Lakers opened up free agency by signing 23-year-old forward Jake LaRavia in the opening hour, linking him to a two-year, $12 million deal to Los Angeles, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
LaRavia has been their only signing and move thus far since the start of the free agency negotiation period. So, who is he, and what does he add to the squad?
LaRavia was born in Pasadena, California, forever linking him to his new NBA team, and then moved to Indianapolis when he was five years old. He was a first-round pick (19th overall) coming out of Wake Forest back in the 2022 NBA draft but had a slow start to his career, playing in 70 games in his first two seasons.
As his minutes increased this season, he flashed his potential, averaging 7.3 points on 44% shooting from 3 in a crowded, talented Grizzlies group. He played 47 games for Memphis before being traded to the Kings in a multi-team deal.
The move to Sacramento gave LaRavia a fresh opportunity, still finding a way to be a threat off the bench next to Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
He had a strong end to the season, scoring over 10 points in six of his final 10 games. He averaged 6.1 points (38% from deep) in 19 games for Sacramento.
His addition brings youth to the Lakers squad, a direction that they want to head toward in their new partnership with Luka Dončić. He brings versatility and flexibility that can work well around Dončić and LeBron James as a catch-and-shoot option. Away from his 3-point shooting, he is a combo forward with a playmaking style to get his own bucket at a 6-foot-8-inch frame.
His production will come from the second unit and his knack for finding a bucket could make him an early fan favorite as a secret bench weapon.
Here's a clip from this past season of what to expect in a potentially similar situation for the Lakers: smothered by Kawhi Leonard in the iso and finds a way to slither through for the scoop against All-NBA defender Ivica Zubac off the pick-and-roll.
Outside of his ability to shoot from deep at a consistent clip, LaRavia utilizes a slow euro step when attacking the paint in the half-court or transition. He has strong instincts as an away-from-the-ball threat crashing to the rim, which will pair well with Dončić's elite vision.
LaRavia is a solid defender who can guard multiple positions at his size. He had a 113.7 defensive rating last season, according to Statmuse, which is above average for his position.
Here's a clip of the type of tenacious on-ball defender he can be versus a smaller, shifty point guard in Fred VanVleet:
And we can't forget his efforts on the offensive glass, which was nearly absent last season for the Lakers:
His off-ball lapses from ball-watching show up on film, with him occasionally watching too long at times and losing his man.
While LaRavia won’t be expected to shoulder a heavy scoring load right away, his combination of shooting, size, and defensive versatility makes him a solid addition to a Lakers squad looking to get younger and athletic around Dončić and James.
If he can be a consistent contributor off the bench and knock down open shots, he could become a key rotational piece and one of the steals of free agency.
Fans should keep an eye on his growth as he adjusts to the brighter lights and microscope in L.A. after being in smaller cities in his early NBA career, because he has the tools to surprise a lot of people in purple and gold.