Jake LaRavia Was Reportedly Eyed by 'Multiple Teams' Before Lakers Contract in NBA FA
Jake LaRavia was a sought-after commodity before the young forward agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
Windhorst reported Tuesday on First Take that "multiple teams" were pursuing him in free agency, including one that was willing to give him a longer deal than the two-year offer he accepted from L.A.
LaRavia didn't put up big numbers between his time with the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings in 2024-25. He averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
A few factors will have made him an attractive target for contending teams, though.
Floor-spacing remains a critical trait for an NBA offense, so LaRavia's improvement as a shooter boosted his value. If he can continue to knock down 40-plus percent of his long-range jumpers, he's a great fit alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
With the collective bargaining agreement seriously limiting what high-spending teams have at their disposal this summer, a $6 million annual salary was something within the range of every franchise, too.
In the case of Los Angeles, general manager Rob Pelinka didn't have many avenues through which he could replace Dorian Finney-Smith, who's reportedly off to the Houston Rockets.
Pelinka clearly identified LaRavia early as The Athletic's Dan Woike reported he's the first free agent the GM called when the negotiating window opened.
Woike added that "LaRavia and his team were impressed with the ways Pelinka sold the strengths of the Lakers' brand and [head coach JJ] Redick's detailed vision for how he'd like to use the young wing."
That's likely why the 23-year-old took the Lakers' contract despite it not being the best on the table. Between getting to play in L.A. and having LeBron and Luka as teammates, he might earn himself more money down the road than if he had chosen a different setting.
