The Lakers spent the offseason reshaping the roster around Luka Doncic, and that reset has one clear loser in the starting lineup race: Jake LaRavia.
Los Angeles already appears set with three starters in Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, the $130 million man. Beyond that, head coach JJ Redick still has work to do, and the picture is murky because the Lakers haven’t yet had their full group on the floor in exhibition play. Reaves and Kessler have both missed the team’s first two preseason games, so any lineup projection right now is still more guesswork than certainty.
Even so, the early signs point in one direction. LaRavia, who started 43 games last season, looks headed for a bench role this time around.
He was one of the Lakers’ most notable additions last offseason and proved to be a steady, available piece. He played all 82 games, the only Laker to do so, and gave the team a reliable option at the wing spot. For a while this summer, it seemed like he might slide into the starting three spot almost by default.
That changed quickly once the Lakers began adding more pieces. They brought in Kessler and Sandro Mamukelashvili up front, then added Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton in the backcourt, while still leaving the wing rotation to sort itself out. The front office also chased Jonathan Kuminga before he chose the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Redick’s first preseason lineup offered the biggest clue yet. In the opener, he started both Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle ahead of LaRavia, a sign that LaRavia may already be behind them in the rotation.
Williams, especially, has pushed himself into the conversation for a starting job. He’s been standing out in camp with the kind of defensive energy the Lakers need, and at 6-foot-9 he gives them more length on the wing. That matters in a group built around Doncic and Reaves, two high-end offensive players who are not known for their defense.
There’s also the shooting angle. Williams hit 34.3% from three last season, better than LaRavia’s 32.1%, and he could be headed for a bigger year playing alongside two elite creators.
Grimes could also factor into the starting five, especially if the Lakers want another movement shooter on the floor. He brings offense and some defensive value, though his 6-foot-4 frame means Los Angeles may still want bigger wings around him.
Mamukelashvili is another option, but he seems more natural in a reserve role where he can do more damage as a scorer. Thybulle is worth watching too, though the Lakers may want to manage his workload after he appeared in just 45 games over the past two seasons. He did shoot 41.1% from deep in those games, which gives him a case for more minutes.
Still, LaRavia isn’t disappearing from the picture. He remains one of the Lakers’ few true combo forwards, and that kind of versatile wing still matters. The roster model Los Angeles seems to be chasing has shades of the Mavericks setup from the early 2020s, with Doncic supported by 3-and-D wings, another playmaker, and a big man cleaning up inside.
The issue for LaRavia is that the Lakers have clearly upgraded around him. Williams offers more size and defense.
Grimes is the cleaner offensive fit as a shooter and connector. LaRavia does a lot of things well, but he doesn’t dominate any one area, and that could keep his role from growing unless he takes a step forward as a shooter and defender.
Even so, Redick is likely to keep shuffling lineups throughout the season. Bigger opponents could push Mamukelashvili into the mix.
Smaller groups may call for more Grimes and Williams on the wings. And LaRavia should still be in the rotation, especially because he knows Redick’s system.
He may open the year on the bench, but over an 82-game season, there should be chances for him to surface in the starting five. By the end of it, durability alone could get him at least 10 starts.
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