Free Agent Target: Jake LaRavia
LaRavia checks a lot of boxes for the Hornets
🐝 Good morning, and thank you for subscribing! This is my final piece on potential free agent targets for Charlotte. While there’s a handful of other guys that I’d love to detail in a piece, we can save some of those thoughts for an upcoming podcast episode. Let’s talk about a guy who played college basketball an hour and a half away from Charlotte.
If you missed the previous free agent pieces, here they are:
Jake LaRavia | PF/SF | 6-7 / 235 lb. | 23 years | Former Team: SAC
Jake LaRavia was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest. In his three seasons in the league, mostly with the Memphis organization, he’s been in and out of the rotation. The Grizzlies did not exercise his fourth-year option before the 2024-25 season, which was likely a factor in why they traded him to Sacramento midseason.1 Depending on his value, this declined option gives Charlotte a leg up over the Kings in free agency.
LaRavia, if he wants to re-sign in Sacramento, can only receive the amount of his declined fourth-year rookie option, which equates to $5.2 million. Yes, Memphis is the team that declined the option, but Sacramento assumed that risk when they traded for him. If the Hornets wanted to offer him more than that amount, there’s nothing the Kings could do to match that offer. So the question becomes: is LaRavia worth more than $6 million annually?
Offense
Most people’s first impression of Jake LaRavia likely centers on his spot-up shooting. However, I want to highlight his on-ball skills, which I believe are often overlooked and are on the rise. While he may not be the fastest player, he finds ways to drive the basketball and maneuver around defenders. He relies on his craft and improving ball-handling to overcome his lack of athleticism.