NBA fans won’t have to wonder who No. 12 is anymore.
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia has quietly excelled despite fluctuating roles. Now, some believe his recent efforts could lead to a well-deserved promotion.
Lakers Wing Building Case for Permanent Promotion
LaRavia Starts the New Year Off with a Bang
LaRavia rang in 2026 with back-to-back 20-point games—both of them against one of his former teams, the Memphis Grizzlies. He dropped an efficient 21 points (8/12 FG, 3/6 3PT) on Jan. 2, along with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. LaRavia followed that up with a 26-point outing last night. He shot 9/16 from the field and 4/10 from three—while tallying five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
LeBron James on Jake LaRavia:
“We need his ability to score in bunches at times obviously with AR, Rui and Gabe out… To have that step up from Jake, we’ve needed it, obviously. He’s just playing with a lot of confidence.”
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) January 5, 2026
In his postgame remarks, LaRavia told reporters:
“I’m just trusting the work I’ve been putting in recently. Obviously, [the] shot was struggling early on, and coach [JJ Redick was] telling me, players [were] telling me, ‘Just keep shooting the ball.’ They trust me, I trust myself. So it’s really just about going into the game and then doing it.”
“Shots aren’t gonna fall every game,” he added, “but I can control the effort that I bring to the game, crashing [the glass] every time. … Just trying to do that every night and just bring an energy to this team.”
Lakers May Have Found a New Starter
LaRavia’s recent play—particularly on defense—has some fans pushing for him to start permanently going forward, even when Rui Hachimura (out with calf soreness) returns. It’s a sentiment that a West coach echoed to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney:
“Rui is the fifth option in that lineup, and he is just not good at being a fifth option–he needs the ball more. I think Jake LaRavia is a lot more comfortable in that role, just playing with energy, playing that level of defense and not needing plays to be called for him to score.”
The new year could bring about a necessary change to the Lakers’ first unit. As solid as Hachimura has been offensively, it’s no secret that he has struggled defensively. With the Lakers’ starting five boasting an abundance of scorers, perhaps a shift to the bench could work in his favor and hide a critical weakness in the process.
LaRavia, meanwhile, has brought a much-needed spark on defense in terms of his effort and intellect—all while knocking shots down at an improved clip. In 12 starts this season, he’s averaged 12.7 points (48% FG), 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game. These last two contests have seen him put up 23.5 points on 60.7% shooting from the field, 43.8% from three and 85.7% from the charity stripe. That efficiency, physicality and effort are all vital next to a pair of elite scorers (trio when Austin Reaves is healthy).
Jake LaRavia could be the perfect two-way wing next to LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the short term—at least until the Lakers find the true upgrade they’re looking for ahead of next month’s trade deadline. For now, no matter his role, LaRavia has grown into an excellent hometown hero, getting one step closer to having a true breakout campaign.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images