The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make many waves during the NBA offseason in terms of roster upgrades with big-name players. The team did get lucky with veterans Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton slipping through the cracks. Still, other moves in NBA free agency, such as signing Jake LaRavia, didn’t convince anyone that this team could compete with the best of the best in the Western Conference.
After the first seven games of the 2025-26 campaign, LaRavia has made a lot of noise, as he continues to turn heads with every passing game due to his play on both ends of the basketball floor.
Jake LaRavia Exceeding Expectations to Start Lakers Stint
LaRavia has been a relatively unknown player over the course of his NBA career thus far, a fact that became painfully apparent after Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards went viral for screaming that he didn’t know who No. 12 was who was torching his team on Oct. 29.
Ironically, it was the Timberwolves that selected LaRavia out of Wake Forest in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Still, the team traded his draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies, so he never played a game for Minnesota.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN highlights the considerable impact LaRavia has had early in his Lakers stint.
Jake LaRavia is making serious noise for Los Angeles 🔥@mcten joins The Association to discuss his rise and what it means for the Lakers on both ends of the floor!
LaRavia and the Lakers take the court tonight against the Trail Blazers at 7pm/pt on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/nMgwtE4OJb
— NBA TV (@NBATV)
“He’s shooting 78 percent from the field over the last three games,” McMenamin said. “It’s wild! It’s pop-a-shot numbers, and it’s not just that; he’s defending. He leads the Lakers in deflections. He’s averaged about 2.7 steals over the last three games.
“JJ Redick gave about as big a compliment as JJ Redick can give after the game last night when he said, ‘Jake LaRavia just knows how to play basketball.'”
Although LaRavia has mostly been praised for his scoring and efficiency on offense, the forward, who turned 24 on Nov. 3 ahead of the clash with the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, has been a force defensively, which has definitely been something this team has needed.
LaRavia put on a show against Minnesota, as he went on to have his best game with the Lakers thus far, dropping a season-high 27 points on Minnesota. He went an impressive 10-for-11 from the field while also racking up eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block, helping his new squad get the one-point win on the road.
That performance didn’t turn out to be just a flash in the pan, with LaRavia scoring 25 points two games later in the win against the Miami Heat. He filled up the stat sheet on Sunday, finishing with eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
If LaRavia can keep up this kind of production, he’ll carve out a significant role in Los Angeles while helping this team be a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor.