An Interview with Jake LaRavia: The Grizzlies, the Kings, free agency, Doug Christie, and more!

Jake LaRavia, a forward for the Sacramento Kings, started to emerge in his third year after being a first-round choice by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022 and waiting two years for a consistent opportunity.
In 66 games played with the Grizzlies and Kings combined, the 6-foot-8 forward set a career best with a 47.5% field percentage and a 42.3% 3-point percentage.

As an unrestricted free agent entering the upcoming offseason, the 23-year-old forward is anticipated to garner interest from multiple organizations.

The Grizzlies’ experience, his behind-the-scenes trade to Sacramento, his reaction to former GM Zach Kleiman’s public statements that he should have used LaRavia down the stretch and shouldn’t have declined his team option, his time playing for Kings coach Doug Christie and how it could influence his free agency decision, and much more were all topics covered in a phone interview LaRavia gave to HoopsHype before the offseason began.

What made this season the most productive for you?

Jake LaRavia: I think it was play time that was constant. When Jaren Jackson Jr. was coming back from surgery in my first year in the league, my rookie year in Memphis, I played a lot of early games. Then, when I was a trainee, I got hurt and sick while I was in and out of the G League. I brought that with me into my second year and the second half of the season with Memphis. Even though we had all those problems, I played in every game. That’s where it began. It’s easier once you have regular minutes and a job. It gets easier and takes longer to play. You have a different view. I did a lot of great work during the off-season before this year. It helped me train with a few different people. To take care of my body and eat right, I hired a cook. I began doing yoga. I made some changes over the summer that I think helped make my third year as effective as it was.

What are you working on next in your game this summer?

JL: The biggest thing I’m working on this summer is shooting. I shot a good clip this past year, but I’ve always believed I’m a very elite shooter. But when it comes to the game, I just don’t take that many attempts because I feel like I can make plays. I feel like there are other aspects to my game, but it really just all depends on the role I’m in. With a team like Sacramento, we shoot a lot of threes, and we had a goal each game to shoot a certain amount of threes. For me, there’s no hesitation, whether it’s contested or not contested, almost like that Klay Thompson or Michael Porter Jr.type of mindset where I don’t see any contest. I’m shooting the ball every time. I know I’m a good shooter — a great shooter. I know I put in the work for it. Finishing has been a big thing as well. Those are probably the two biggest ones.
Then, I’m always just continuing to work on defensive things because I feel my biggest role right now with whatever team I’m on, and what I bring is that intensity and energy on the defensive side by creating deflections and steals while being able to guard multiple positions. On the offense side, space the floor and make reads.

At 23, where do you feel like you are in your overall development as a player and the ceiling you hope to hit?

Considering that last year was my first full season in the league, I feel like I’m just scratching the surface, which is going to sound cliche. This was my first full season seeing regular playing time in the NBA. Going into any of my games, I never thought, “I’m not going to play tonight, or something is going to happen.” I fashioned a position for myself. I was prepared to play that part night after night as the producer.

What did you learn or take away from two and a half years in Memphis or so?

JL: It was a youthful squad. Considering that Ja (Morant) was probably just in his fourth year when I arrived, I think it was a wonderful experience overall. It was still early in Desmond’s (Bane’s) career; he was in his third year. Together, we were all learning and developing. But I must admit, I didn’t play nearly enough. For a long time, I was a G league player. Sitting on the bench allowed me to watch sports. Your perspective on the game is unique. After suffering multiple injuries in Memphis previously, I kept asking myself, “How do I fix this?” After that, I dove into those things, questioned these men, and picked the brains of those with more league experience than myself.
The Memphis show was top-notch. I mean, it was great even in the G league. It was an incredibly humiliating ordeal. When you get down there, you’ll be playing among a bunch of people who are itching to steal your thunder or break into the NBA. As a result, I felt more confident and motivated to work harder to improve.

What was going through your mind when you got traded for the first time from Memphis to Sacramento?

After Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry, my representatives, turned down the fourth-year team option, it seemed inevitable that this would happen. Before that happened, I had a couple of chats with Zach Kleiman. Just an hour or two before the trade deadline was set to close, he gave me a call. “Oh, I suppose I could remain in Memphis,” I thought to myself. I then received the call. He informed me that he was going to trade me to Sacramento. Thanking him for the chance, I informed him. That night, I made preparations and showed up. The occurrence was unprecedented. You have to gather all your belongings and travel there, which makes it an insane experience. During that time, I made my home in a Sacramento hotel. Having said that, I did enjoy myself.
Moving from a younger squad to one that relied more on its veterans helped me learn from the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Jae Crowder, and Domantas Sabonis, as well as get insight from their unique perspectives as players with more than a decade of experience. I loved Sacramento, even if their basketball is very different. Their supporters are the best.

What do you see for this team looking ahead as constructed?

This team has a lot of champions, JL. There are a number of players that give their all on the field, and many of them fit the profile I was describing earlier—a hard-nosed, aggressive defense with grit and determination on both ends of the ball. We are familiar with players like that because to Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis.
To alleviate some of the pressure on the point guard, you have Domantas, a center with a high IQ who can also play wing. It’s a versatile squad, and things could shift during the summer. I am uncertain. Whatever happens with the trades, I still believe this team has what it takes to win.

At 23, what are you looking for in unrestricted free agency?

The most important thing, forget about the money. I want to be a part of a championship-caliber squad or a young, promising one that’s prepared to win. Competition is something I thoroughly like. To a large extent, it is because of this that I like playing basketball. When you play in a league, you’re up against the best of the best. So, it’s great to be a part of a championship-caliber squad that needs a versatile wing player like me.
I can make plays and shoot threes, so I’m a good defender. In my spare time, I dabble in everything. As my tenure in the league continues, I hope to play an ever larger role.

How do you think you can impact the team, whether it’s in Sacramento or somewhere else?

JL: At six feet eight inches tall, I can defend positions one through five. This year, I was Nikola Jokic’s guard. Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving were point guards that I guarded. Even if it was tough, you might lose occasionally; yet, I’ve been on par with those men. When it comes to the playoffs, the most important thing is defense.
If you can’t play defense, you don’t have a chance to play. I contribute a lot of enthusiasm, drive, and effort to that area of the game. I feel like I can do anything and anything on offense. Let me take care of the three. Driving the ball and making contact are two of my skills. I am capable of making a play or reaching the foul line. Nearly everything on the offensive side is within my skill set.