Kings Acquire Jake LaRavia
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
Just read about him, take what it is worth, here are some highlights:
- 6’7, 23 y.o, forward, 44.4% 3pts
- 1st round pick in 2022
- Following 2 injury-plagued years to start his career, Memphis already made the first move in determining LaRavia’s fate by declining his fourth-year team option
- In 3rd year with the franchise, LaRavia is healthier and has by far his best campaign yet.
- HUSTLE HIS WAY INTO MINUTES
- “For the most part, when I’m out on the court, my main goal is to do all the little things: The dirty work, the 50-50 balls, the one-more passes. Just making the right play pretty much every time.” - LaRavia
- “Some stuff might not even be in the stat sheet, but it leads to winning.” - Ja Morant
- LaRavia averages 3.6 deflections 36 per. min. (3rd best on the team) along with a team-high 0.8 defensive loose balls recovered 36 per min, helping create momentum or “winning plays”
- Most noticeable are the strides that LaRavia has made as a playmaker.
- PLAYING FAST OFF THE BENCH
- Among the three-man lineups that have logged at least 160 minutes together so far this season, one involving LaRavia is tied for having the best overall net rating in the league. Memphis has outscored its opponents by 27.0 points per 100 possessions when he alongside Aldama and Kennard.
- Among all NBA players with at least 900 minutes played this season, he leads the entire league in average speed (5.10 miles per hour) while on offense.
- His paint touches increased from 1.5 per 36 minutes as a rookie all the way up to 3.6 this season. Once he is near the rim, he has shown an ability to finish plays efficiently,
- LaRavia is currently 17-of-20 (85.0 percent) when cutting to the basket,
Some LaRavia stats:
60.5% TS -- 80th percentile
.392 FTr-- 90th percentile (oh?)
3.6 deflections/36-- 87th percentile (oh?)
0.9 VORP
16.3% Ast
11.% TRB
+2.2 NET Rtg
I really don't get why the hell MEM would decline his option. He wasn't as good the last few years, of course, but there's nothing I see where he was just a clear give up option. He's not putting up gaudy numbers, yet, but if you can sneak this guy another contract and keep him long-term... man. It's there.
60.5% TS -- 80th percentile
.392 FTr-- 90th percentile (oh?)
3.6 deflections/36-- 87th percentile (oh?)
0.9 VORP
16.3% Ast
11.% TRB
+2.2 NET Rtg
I really don't get why the hell MEM would decline his option. He wasn't as good the last few years, of course, but there's nothing I see where he was just a clear give up option. He's not putting up gaudy numbers, yet, but if you can sneak this guy another contract and keep him long-term... man. It's there.
I just watched some highlights of Laravia...i think he's already better than Trey Lyle. He can shoot, drive, handle the ball, dribble up the court (which Trey never do), ability to attack and draw fouls which Lyle hardly do. He's tough man...his tenacity and competitiveness stand out. He's physical. He just play the game the right way (know how to use his body to draw fouls), seems to be very smart and anticipate attack lane before the defense is set. He could be a gem!
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You just got to get him to ink the 2/10 with a PO in the 2nd season and then I'm pretty sure you can use your MLE or Early Bird rights gives him the bigger contract.
Still, I like the risk. LaRavia should never have been available; getting him in the building, getting him a real role I think could matter to keep him.
Still, I like the risk. LaRavia should never have been available; getting him in the building, getting him a real role I think could matter to keep him.
I think the most comparable player situation wise is Haywood Highsmith. Both 3 and 3 wings . He signed this offseason for a 2/10 ish.
There is also Jalen Smith. He was a former first round pick that had under performed early in his career but has shown potential. He signed a 5 for 15 deal with the Pacers. He then signed a bigger deal with the Bulls for around 10 mil this last offseason.
There is also Jalen Smith. He was a former first round pick that had under performed early in his career but has shown potential. He signed a 5 for 15 deal with the Pacers. He then signed a bigger deal with the Bulls for around 10 mil this last offseason.
Yes. If we had $500B in cap space, we could only sign him for $5.xM. Cap space, exceptions, etc. just don't enter into it. His contract got "cut short" from a four-year rookie deal. In order to prevent a team from trying to get him additional money in some sort of collusion, the team that cut him (and for some strange reason, any team that subsequently trades for him) can't exceed what he was "supposed" to get in his rookie deal.
That’s what I would hope for. He should know how hard it is to establish a significant role on a team. If the Kings can do that for him, he will be able to see a bright future and a bigger contract down the road. As a young player, establishing yourself on one team for a few years can help you down the road earn bigger contracts, avoiding looking like a nomad minimum contract type player.
So many fringe guys leave their former teams for more money only to flame out when their new team doesn’t give them a similar role.
So many fringe guys leave their former teams for more money only to flame out when their new team doesn’t give them a similar role.
They have GG Jackson and Wells (also have for super cheap another guy who broke out last year but is currently injured Vince Williams @SF)on 2nd round deals who are both current/potential starters and younger, he looked bad the the last few seasons basically he was a 3 and D who couldn't do either , now all of a sudden he got way stronger and does everything well but nothing elite. Memphis also want to extend Santi it was the right call at then time but Jake really turned it around and has been great this year in terms of winning impact.
I think Jake is a starting level player like a bigger better shooting Kyle Anderson in his Spurs/Memphis days.
I think Jake is a starting level player like a bigger better shooting Kyle Anderson in his Spurs/Memphis days.
I'd agree that the reason they traded him is that they have GG Jackson and Vince Williams coming back and there just aren't enough minutes to go around. Not to mention the quirk with his contract from not picking up his option meaning they were likely to lose him in the off-season anyway.
But the reason they didn't pick up his option in the first place is that for his first two seasons he just couldn't stay healthy.
But the reason they didn't pick up his option in the first place is that for his first two seasons he just couldn't stay healthy.
I hope that we can do a 1+1 or something if things work out here and he sees a role moving forward. Worst case he builds a case for a bigger contract in 2026 while we'd have Bird rights and other teams can't come in with a lowball offer just over what we can offer.
Plus we'd be the only team that can pay him the super max someday lol
Plus we'd be the only team that can pay him the super max someday lol
I mentioned it earlier but a Haywood Highsmith type deal is what I’d be hoping for if he pans out. Highsmith was on some of our lists last offseason and were surprised he signed for just 2/10.
I hope we take some cues from what the Clippers pulled off this season. They got nothing for PG and got better. Defenders and shooters around your best players. Laravia, Keegan, Ellis, Carter is an outstanding start. Now it’s about shuffling the deck to get the best lineups out there analytically.
I hope we take some cues from what the Clippers pulled off this season. They got nothing for PG and got better. Defenders and shooters around your best players. Laravia, Keegan, Ellis, Carter is an outstanding start. Now it’s about shuffling the deck to get the best lineups out there analytically.
To be fair, we also may be projecting a bit here. LaRavia has never played a minute as a King, and we're already worried about whether or not we can re-sign him. I mean, his 3PT% is nice - this year - but he still hasn't scored 850 points in the NBA, so we might not want to crown him our savior just yet.
That said, I do hope that our friend @bajaden chimes in eventually. I seem to recall he was a big fan of LaRavia's back around draft time.
That said, I do hope that our friend @bajaden chimes in eventually. I seem to recall he was a big fan of LaRavia's back around draft time.
Excerpt from Bajaden's final 2022 mock draft: Part five (under Prospects Forum):
23. 76'ers - Jake Laravia: SF/SG, 6'8", 227 Lb's - 6'9.50" wingspan, Junior, Wake Forest
34.2 mpg - 14.6 ppg - 55.9% fgp - 38.4% 3pp - 77.7% ftp - 6.6 rpg - 3.7 apg - 2.7 to's - 1.7 stl's - 1.0 blk's - ORtg 121.7 - DRtg 95.9
The 76'ers could use some help at the wing position and Laravia can play both SG and SF, and probably spend some time at PF as well, since he likes to play a little bully ball down low at times. Laravia is a decent to good defender who reads the floor well and anticipates well in the passing lanes. He's a good help defender as well, and he should take some of the defensive pressure off Embid. He shot a very respectable 38.4% from three this past season on 2.2 attempts a game. Apparently he was one of he best shooters in the shooting drills at the combine. Laravia loves to post up and is very good around the basket with good touch. He's a smart player offensively who loves to punish defensive players on a close out.
While he needs to cut down on his turnovers, he is a very good passer who can create for others, and played more like a point forward at Wake Forest. He is a Junior but is still only 20 years old and won't turn 21 until Nov 3rd. He's a player on the rise who could, and I think will, easily out perform his draft position..
23. 76'ers - Jake Laravia: SF/SG, 6'8", 227 Lb's - 6'9.50" wingspan, Junior, Wake Forest
34.2 mpg - 14.6 ppg - 55.9% fgp - 38.4% 3pp - 77.7% ftp - 6.6 rpg - 3.7 apg - 2.7 to's - 1.7 stl's - 1.0 blk's - ORtg 121.7 - DRtg 95.9
The 76'ers could use some help at the wing position and Laravia can play both SG and SF, and probably spend some time at PF as well, since he likes to play a little bully ball down low at times. Laravia is a decent to good defender who reads the floor well and anticipates well in the passing lanes. He's a good help defender as well, and he should take some of the defensive pressure off Embid. He shot a very respectable 38.4% from three this past season on 2.2 attempts a game. Apparently he was one of he best shooters in the shooting drills at the combine. Laravia loves to post up and is very good around the basket with good touch. He's a smart player offensively who loves to punish defensive players on a close out.
While he needs to cut down on his turnovers, he is a very good passer who can create for others, and played more like a point forward at Wake Forest. He is a Junior but is still only 20 years old and won't turn 21 until Nov 3rd. He's a player on the rise who could, and I think will, easily out perform his draft position..
1 move I can definitely get behind ... My question is why didn't they go after Laravia or a guy like him at his size in the offseason? Did they really think Jalen McDaniels coming over a terrible year was going to be the answer at the backup 3/4 spot? Just seems Monte McNair is always a step behind on what this team actually needs. And he still is.
