Jake LaRavia signs with Lakers, turning a lifelong family bond into an NBA reality

Jake LaRavia is heading to Los Angeles. The former first-round pick has agreed to join the Lakers in June 2025 free agency, a move that elevates his NBA trajectory and connects directly to a family story steeped in purple and gold. LaRavia, drafted 19th overall in 2022 and previously with Memphis, steps into a marquee market — and a locker room headlined by LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

A phone call that sealed the moment

The news landed the way big life moments sometimes do — fast and unforgettable. While his father, Jeff, was driving with Jake’s younger brother, the middle son called and cut straight to the headline: he had signed with the Lakers. The announcement, shared on speaker, instantly rewired the family’s summer. It wasn’t just a career decision; it was the culmination of years of work and a childhood dream voiced out loud.

Jeff knew the Lakers were in the mix. Hearing it confirmed sent him back to his own childhood, the kind that starts on a blacktop and ends at an arena. Decades earlier, he’d spent nights at the Forum, absorbed in the Showtime glow and wearing purple-and-gold high tops until the leather finally softened. That memory now folds into this one: his son stepping into the same colors.

From Lawrence Central to the league

LaRavia’s path isn’t the typical straight line. He grew into his game at Lawrence Central in Indianapolis, sharpened it at Indiana State, and then expanded it at Wake Forest. That blend of stops — the under-the-radar grind, the jump to a bigger stage — carried him to draft night in 2022 and into Memphis, where he learned the league’s pace and physicality while sharing the floor with elite talent, including Ja Morant.

The move to Los Angeles resets the narrative. With the Lakers, LaRavia gains visibility and opportunity on one of basketball’s most scrutinized platforms. The ask is simple but demanding: contribute, adapt, and grow alongside superstars, with every rotation minute viewed through a playoff lens.

A family bound to purple and gold

The LaRavia family’s connection to the Lakers predates Jake’s birth. Jeff grew up in Pasadena, a pastor’s son, with siblings who tossed no-look passes in the driveway and learned the cost of an errant throw when the ball sailed over the fence and down the hill. In that household, Magic Johnson was more than a highlight — he was inspiration. The rhythm of those backyard games echoes now in this milestone.

Not everyone lived to see it. Jake’s grandparents, Ellis and Gwen, and Jeff’s brother, Dave, passed away years ago. Their absence makes the present more poignant. The family history is baked into this signing — a private thread running through a very public jersey.

What the Lakers get — and what LaRavia gains

For Los Angeles, LaRavia is a versatile addition to a rotation that prizes intelligence, feel, and floor awareness. The Lakers value players who can elevate possessions around stars, make the next play, and hold up within a structured game plan. LaRavia’s journey — shaped by multiple systems and levels — suggests a player comfortable adjusting his role to fit what’s needed.

For LaRavia, the benefits are immediate: the daily standard set by James and Dončić, the pressure and clarity that come with championship expectations, and the national spotlight that accelerates development. The move also expands his profile off the court, with the potential for new partnerships that tend to follow when the jersey reads Los Angeles.

What’s next on the calendar

The summer arc is straightforward: settle in, get to work, and translate practice reps into trust from the coaching staff. Training camp in the fall will crystalize roles and rotations. The early checkpoints are simple but telling — how quickly LaRavia’s game maps onto the Lakers’ principles, how reliably he connects actions alongside the stars, and how effectively he carves out minutes in a competitive wing/forward room.

For the LaRavias, the timeline feels both sudden and long awaited. One phone call, a lifetime in the making, and now an opening night on the horizon — under brighter lights, in familiar colors, with family history stitched into every seam.