Jake LaRavia, a forward whom the Los Angeles Lakerssigned on Sunday to a two-year, $12 million contract, seems to have the potential to become an underrated gem for them.

In three NBA seasons, the 23-year-old has flown under the radar, and he’s known chiefly as an outside shooting threat who made 42.3% of his 3-point attempts this past season. But he plays with a high motor and has the ability to become a contributor on the defensive end.

During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, he said he sees himself becoming a 3-and-D player for Los Angeles this coming season.

“I’m pretty versatile on both sides of the ball,” added LaRavia. “Being able to space the floor, playing off guys like LeBron, Luka and Austin. And then defensively just being able to take on that toughest matchup is something that I’ve been growing on as my years have gone on.…

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 8, 2025

LaRavia averaged 1.7 steals per 36 minutes during the 2024-25 campaign, and he has shown that he can be a disruptor on the defensive end as far as getting steals and deflections. But what L.A. needs most on that end of the floor is one or two players who will effectively guard perimeter players one-on-one.

The team lost forward Dorian Finney-Smith, whose individual defense helped turn its season around once it traded for him in late December, to the Houston Rockets in free agency. If LaRavia replaces at least a good deal of the individual defense Finney-Smith brought, he could seriously help the Lakers get closer to becoming championship contenders right away.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jake LaRavia says he sees himself as a ‘3-and-D connector’ player