July 6: LaRavia has signed with the Lakers, per the official transaction log at NBA.com.
“Jake is a high IQ two-way player with ideal skills for a JJ Redick basketball system,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in a statement within the team’s press release confirming the deal. “He’s a disruptive defender who uses his size and physicality to create turnovers. Offensively, he can score at all three levels and has a knack for creating space for himself and his teammates.
“Being just 23 years old, we think Jake has significant basketball upside, which will be honed nicely in our Lakers basketball development program.”
June 30: The Lakers have agreed to a two-year, $12MM deal with free agent forward Jake LaRavia, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Dan Woike of The Athletic, confirming the news, adds (via Twitter) that LaRavia’s contract will be fully guaranteed and refers to him as the team’s “top wing target” once Dorian Finney-Smith committed to Houston.
The Grizzlies turned down LaRavia’s fourth-year rookie scale option for 2025/26 last October, and he responded by playing some of the best basketball of his career through 47 games for Memphis — he made 44.4% of his three-pointers and the team was better when he was on the court than when he wasn’t.
The forward’s production dipped a little following a trade-deadline deal to Sacramento, but he still give the Kings good rotation minutes off the bench and finished the season with total averages of 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 20.4 minutes per game and a .475/.423/.678 shooting line for the two teams.
LaRavia’s solid season prompted Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman to admit after the season that he probably made a mistake by declining the former first-round pick’s $5.16MM option for ’25/26. Sacramento didn’t have the ability to exceed that $5.16MM figure on a starting salary for LaRavia, but other teams – like the Lakers – were allowed to go higher.
A two-year contract worth the full amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception would be worth $11.7MM, so it’s possible LaRavia’s contract will be signed that way. However, the Lakers – who are in desperate need for a center – have more free agent shopping to do, so I’d except LaRavia’s deal to come out of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Assuming that’s the case, the club would have about $8.3MM left on it, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
So discount DFS. Fraction of the price, minutes, production?
More like just a bench player. I am surprised they didn’t use the extra money leaving for a better player.
I think a trade is coming with Reaves.
I’d be really surprised if Reaves gets moved. I think Lebron is more likely to move than Reaves.
Jake and Austin are workout buddies and friends. So I highly doubt he would sign with the lakers if austin was getting traded away
he would have no idea…
Decent signing me thinks. Get some good looks with Luka.
Donte Divenzo used the Kings to get a better salary.
and just like that the Lakers lose another offseason.
So who is better today !!!!!!!
Lakers —- or —- Mavericks
?????!!!!!!??????????!!!!!!!??????
Well he’s 1/2 as good as DFS and gets less than 1/2 as much lololol Pelinka playing checkers as usual