The Los Angeles Lakers added forward Jake LaRavia with their first move of the 2025 Free Agency. After losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets, the Lakers added more shooting to their roster to pair alongside their stars in Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
Lakers Set to Sign Sharpshooter Jake LaRavia
According to ESPN’s Sham Charania, Los Angeles signed the 23-year-old forward to a two-year, fully guaranteed $12 million deal.
Fully guaranteed deal for Jake LaRavia in Los Angeles — negotiated tonight by agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency. https://t.co/rAKs7XLYpv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
The main ingredient to building a winning roster around Dončić has long been adding players who can shoot and defend. And if you can find players who can do both, that would be even better. While LaRavia is not known as a defender, he is certainly known as a knock-down shooter.
The 6’8″ forward shot a career-high 42% from three-point range this past season. LaRavia was drafted with the 19th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves but was rerouted to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he spent his first two-and-a-half seasons before he was traded to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline.
The former first-round pick showed promise during his time in Memphis, but the Grizzlies declined to pick up his option last season, a decision that ultimately led to his trade, and one that GM Zach Kleiman later came to regret.
LaRavia is set to replace the loss of Finney-Smith in the Lakers’ rotation next season. Finney-Smith has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets.
Lakers’ Offseason Outlook
With LaRavia set to land in L.A., the Lakers still need more pieces to have a championship roster that can compete in the West. With James picking up his $52.3 million player option, the roster is taking shape.
However, according to the Lakers’ superstar agent, Rich Paul, James is monitoring the team’s moves to see if they will be able to win a championship in the following year.
And James isn’t the only one who wants to play for a contender. In a previous interview, LaRavia noted the two things he was looking for before free agency began: a team that can play a fast-paced offense and an ability to play for a team chasing a championship. Two things the Lakers seemingly check off as LaRavia is set to join the team alongside one of his good friends, Austin Reaves.
With Reaves, LaRavia, and Dončić on the roster, the Lakers fixed their need for adding shooting. Now, as free agency continues, they must prioritize adding a center and perimeter defense.
