The Lakers opened free agency on Monday not by adding the center general manager Rob Pelinka said is a priority for the franchise this offseason, but by quickly finding a replacement for their most significant departure.
The team agreed to terms with Jake LaRavia on a two-year, $12 million contract that can be signed after the free agency moratorium period ends on Sunday.
LaRavia, the No. 19 pick in the 2022 draft out of Wake Forest, has averaged 6.9 points (shooting 37% from 3-point range), 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 136 games.
He started his career with the Memphis Grizzlies (2022-25) before they traded him to Sacramento in February ahead of the trade deadline.
LaRavia was an inconsistent part of the Grizzlies’ rotation during the first 1½ seasons of his career. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a consistent part of Memphis’ rotation last season, playing in 47 of 51 games (20.9 minutes per game) before the Kings acquired him on Feb. 6 as part of a three-team trade involving the Washington Wizards. LaRavia played 19 games for the Kings before missing Sacramento’s final 10 regular-season games and the team’s play-in tournament loss to the Dallas Mavericks because of a fractured left thumb he suffered on March 25.
The Grizzlies declined the fourth-year team option for 2025-26 on the rookie-scale contract LaRavia signed with Memphis after being drafted, leading to him becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer and eventually landing with the Lakers.
The 6-foot-8, 235-pound LaRavia, who turns 24 in November, has shown flashes as a reliable catch-and-shoot threat from behind the arc and a quick decision-maker. He shot 43.9% on catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts in 2024-25, the 19th-best mark in the league among the 249 players who attempted at least 100 catch-and-shoot looks from behind the arc.
LaRavia has been a strong offensive rebounder for his position and a versatile team defender, mainly guarding either forward position. He’s improved as a finisher at the rim after early career struggles, shooting a career-high 63.8% within five feet of the rim in 2024-25. Defensively, LaRavia is disruptive with strong passing lane defense and a knack for getting steals.
LaRavia’s agreement, which was first reported by ESPN, came shortly after it became known that the Lakers will lose one of their more reliable players from the 2024-25 season in free agency.
Dorian Finney-Smith agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract with the Houston Rockets shortly after teams were able to legally negotiate with upcoming free agents beginning on Monday afternoon.
His departure created a significant vacancy in the Lakers’ wing rotation that the team is hoping LaRavia can fill.
Finney-Smith declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 over the weekend, making him an unrestricted free agent on Monday.
He had been been eligible for a contract extension since mid-February. Finney-Smith, who turned 32 in May, was seeking a long-term deal that didn’t appear to fit the Lakers’ plans.
In Finney-Smith, the Lakers are losing a reliable 3-and-D forward with a strong locker room presence. He’s also been one of Luka Doncic’s favorite teammates dating to their time together with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers’ acquisition of Finney-Smith was one of the pivotal parts of their 2024-25 season, with the most significant being trading for Doncic six weeks after Finney-Smith. They were 18-13 before trading for Finney-Smith and went 29-14 in the 43 regular-season games in which Finney-Smith played.
Even though his season-long averages for the Lakers didn’t stand out (7.9 points – 44.2% shooting overall; 39.8% from 3-point range, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes), the impact of his versatility was felt immediately.
“He’s a worker, he’s a pro,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Finney-Smith during the 2024-25 season. “You can’t have enough Dorian Finney-Smiths on your team.”
Finney-Smith was crucial for the success of the Lakers’ center-less lineups, guarding up and down the positional spectrum and providing spacing for the Lakers’ primary ball-handlers. His value was reflected in having the team’s second-best season-long individual plus/minus per game of plus-6.2, behind only Doncic at plus-6.3.
The Lakers acquired Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks in a Dec. 29 trade. Finney-Smith had surgery earlier in June to address left ankle ailments, but he is expected to participate when training camp starts in the fall.
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