Lakers' Rob Pelinka Reveals Motivation For Jake LaRavia Signing

The Los Angeles Lakers' first signing of free agency was far from a blockbuster, but it can prove to be one of the most valuable moves of the offseason.

Power forward Jake LaRavia — a Pasadena, CA native — has been an under-the-radar guy, averaging 6.9 points per game on 43 percent shooting over the last deep seasons. After inking a two-year, $12 million deal to start the chaos of NBA free agency, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka spoke on the deal after it became official on Monday.

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“Jake is a high IQ two-way player with ideal skills for a JJ Redick basketball system,” Pelinka said. “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.”

LaRavia started the 2024-25 campaign going into his third NBA season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. He was scoring 7.3 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent from deep before he was traded to the Sacramento Kings.

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LaRavia ended his season putting up 6.1 points, 0.9 steals, and 3.8 rebounds per game in 19 contests in Sac Town. In total, the power forward put up an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent — a number that adjusts traditional field goal percentage with the extra point award for his 3-pointers — and will look to continue his efficiency on his hometown team.

Playing alongside someone like Luka Dončić, who thrives with shooters that can spread the floor, appears to be a recipe for success in LA. As Pelinka noted, LaRavia also has the ability to make an impact on the defensive end with his size, making for some frustrating matchups against smaller players.

At just 23 years old, LaRavia is also capable of growing with the team and fits in the desired timeline of the current roster. Only time will tell to see what his fit truly is like in Los Angeles, but the excitement from Pelinka plus the on-paper synergy means the Lakers may have found their next role player via the free agency market.

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