After losing veteran 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets in free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers got 23-year-old forward Jake LaRavia to agree to sign with them. LaRavia ended up getting a two-year contract that will pay him roughly $12 million, and he could become an underrated gem for them.
He’s mostly known as an accurate 3-point shooter, but he also has the potential to be a disruptive defender and a hustle player. He made 42.3% of his 3-point attempts while averaging 6.9 points in 20.4 minutes a game this past season.
At his introductory press conference on Tuesday, he implied that he felt the Lakers were the best fit for him in free agency.
“I was trying to decide which team was the best fit, where I could see my role expanding and seeing my potential as a player continue to grow,” LaRavia said. “I think the development process is going to be great for me. I think as far as the way the team is set up, I’ll fit right in.”
At 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, LaRavia has a high motor and tends to play very hard whenever he is on the floor. He should have a chance to earn some significant playing time with L.A. now that Finney-Smith, who averaged 28.8 minutes a game with it this past season, has left.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jake LaRavia implies Lakers were best fit for him in free agency
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
