Jake LaRavia has been an analytics darling since he was selected 19th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft. At 6’7″ and 235 pounds, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 treys in 33 games at Wake Forest, while shooting 55% from the field, 38% from downtown and 77% from the line.
While he’s shown flashes, LaRavia has never been able to be more than a 20-minute per game rotation piece. That likely won’t change as he agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, per ESPNs Shams Charania.
Luka Doncic is locked in as the point guard. Austin Reaves is the shooting guard. Rui Hachimura is currently slotted to be the starting small forward. Hachimura played 54% of his minutes last season at small forward and averaged 13.1 points, five rebounds and 1.7 treys in 31.7 minutes per contest. He converted 41% from beyond the arc.
LaRavia will likely soak up the backup small forward minutes. He’s a good depth piece for the Lakers, as he can space the floor while not being a liability on defense. From a fantasy perspective, though, his value is muted unless Hachimura is moved.
