The Lakers signed the former Grizzlies first-round pick with a two-year contract. Can he play a more important role?

According to the report of ESPN authoritative reporter Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers reached an agreement with Jake LaRavia, who previously played for the Sacramento Kings. LaRavia received a two-year contract from the Lakers with a total amount of 12 million.

La Lalawia was born in November 2001. She is 23 years old, 201cm tall and weighs 107kg. She is a forward player from Wake Forest University selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 19th pick in the first round in the 2022 NBA Draft. Laravia's performance in the first two seasons of his career was very average. The Grizzlies actually gave him a lot of playing time and performance opportunities, but his efficiency on the offensive end was not ideal, and his performance on the defensive end also lacked highlights. However, this season, Laravia's performance has finally improved significantly. By the middle of the season, the Grizzlies and Kings completed a deal, and the Grizzlies sent Laravia to the Kings, and exchanged the Kings for Colby Jones, Alex Len and the 2028 Kings second round pick.

In the NBA regular season this season, Laravia played 66 times for the Grizzlies and the Kings, averaging 20.4 minutes per game, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks, and 1.3 turnovers and 2 fouls. His shooting percentage was 47.5%, a three-point shooting percentage of 42.3%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 67.8%. Laravia has been very good offensively this season, his offensive efficiency remains at an extremely high level, his three-point shooting percentage is also quite stable, and his performance in passing and supporting is also very outstanding. Laravia's performance on the defensive end is actually relatively stable, and his personal defensive ability is not bad either. If he can get more playing time and higher tactical status, his performance will also be further improved on the existing basis.

From the Lakers' perspective, signing a forward player like Laravia with both offense and defense at such a price is also a good result. At least compared to Dorian Finney-Smith, this price is really very competitive. However, we are also a little worried about whether Laravia can take on a more important role. Even though his performance has improved significantly last season, he is still not a player with a lot of playing time and a key influence on the game. He should play a more important role in the Lakers next season. Whether he can adapt to the role changes and whether he can replace Smith's position are all a huge question mark. On the other hand, the Lakers also need to strengthen in other positions. Can they successfully sign DeAndre Ayton?