The Los Angeles Lakers are just a handful of weeks away from training camp opening. With that being the case, prediction season is in full swing. For better or worse, one offseason acquisition by the Purple and Gold is garnering plenty of attention after being pegged by many fans as a breakout candidate during the 2025-26 campaign.
Rob Pelinka and the front office were intrigued by the idea of adding Jake LaRavia to the roster as a free agent this summer, as they felt his skillset would mesh well with what is being built in Los Angeles under the watch of head coach JJ Redick. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about what the 23-year-old forward is capable of. LaRavia touched on the importance that joining the Lakers has for his family, but potential and realized production are two very different things.
Lakers Fans Must Cool It on Early Hype Over Jake LaRavia
Despite being 23 years old, LaRavia has been in the NBA for three seasons now, which has made him familiar with the physical and mental grind that comes with being a professional athlete. In no way does that guarantee success, though. In fact, given that Los Angeles will be the third team LaRavia has suited up for since entering the NBA is enough to make fans question whether he was worth bringing in at all if his previous stops in Memphis and Sacramento did not earn him a long-term contract.
LaRavia's most productive stretch as an NBA player came in the 47 appearances he made for the Grizzlies during the 2024-25 campaign. Before ultimately being shipped out of town to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline, the former Wake Forest product was shooting 49% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc. Those are the kind of numbers that can keep a wing employed in the NBA for a long time if they consistently produce at that level.
Unfortunately, consistency has been the problem for LaRavia. Outside of that stretch with Memphis to begin this past season, LaRavia has never shot better than 43% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Those are still more than fine numbers, but they don't do much to signal that a breakout season is on the way.
Given his overall lack of playmaking ability for others, he's averaged just 1.7 assists per game for his career. Being an efficient scorer from all three levels is something that LaRavia must bring to the table to be a worthwhile contributor. Until we see that he is capable of being that player when the pressure is on, something all Lakers players must deal with night in and night out, fans may be best served by tempering their expectations for the offseason acquisition.