The moment the Lakers could contact free agents, they reportedly reached out to Jake LaRavia to secure a deal.
There were virtually no reports connecting Jake LaRavia to the Lakers prior to the start of free agency.
However, as Dorian Finney-Smith was departing to the Rockets, the Lakers were moving on to his replacement in Jake LaRavia.
In fact, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, LaRavia was the first player they contacted when free agency began.
According to league sources, LaRavia was the Lakers’ first call when free agency officially opened at 3 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday. In his conversation with Rob Pelinka and Lakers coach JJ Redick, LaRavia and his team were impressed with the ways Pelinka sold the strengths of the Lakers’ brand and Redick’s detailed vision for how he’d like to use the young wing.
Hearing the first player the Lakers reportedly called is LaRavia is surprising. They decided he was the player to dial and not a big like Clint Capela or Brook Lopez?
A center is still a clear need and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has publicly stated as much. Still, they opted for perimeter play as their initial move.
While the Lakers might have called LaRavia first, Austin Reaves has been in contact with him for quite a while. They have the same agent, Aaron Reilly of AMR Agency, and have been seen working out together this summer.
What this does indicate is that the Lakers placed LaRavia as a top priority. They clearly wanted him and wasted no time getting that done.
LaRavia is still a young player who has yet to enter his prime. He averaged a modest 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and shot 43% from 3-point range last season.
Depending on his role, it’s not hard to imagine that LaRavia will be a good fit for the team and have his best season yet here in Los Angeles.
We’ve seen an uptick in production for role players around Luka Dončić before. If LaRavia is a significant part of this team, he should be able to maximize his potential.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.