Lakers’ Ironman 82-Game Wing Listed as a Potential Trade Chip

As the start of the 2026-27 season draws closer, discussions surrounding the Lakers continue to heat up. The Lakers have been active this offseason, creating several major storylines: LeBron James ending his eight-year Lakers tenure and leaving Los Angeles as a free agent was a major development. After that, the front office began making additions, aiming both to fill the vacancies left by James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and others, and to find players who fit Luka Doncic’s style of play.

Before late October, the Lakers need to complete an important roster move: the team currently has 16 players, exceeding the league’s standard 15-man roster limit, while still needing reinforcements at power forward and backup center. Outside observers are speculating about the front office’s next move. Media outlets have proposed a possible solution: make a trade where the Lakers send out more players than they receive, allowing them to reduce the roster while adding an interior player who can contribute immediately.

Lake Show Life reporter Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote an article listing Jack LaRavia among the three Lakers players most likely to be moved. Compared with new additions Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht, trade rumors surrounding LaRavia have not generated as much attention.

The article stated: “When discussing cutdown trades, LaRavia is usually not the first player people think of. But there is reason to believe he has quietly replaced Vanderbilt and entered the trade list. This is not because of LaRavia himself, but more because of Vanderbilt’s contract situation. Simply put, if the Lakers could move Vanderbilt’s unfavorable contract, they would have already done so.”

The 24-year-old LaRavia is on an expiring one-year contract, making him a very easy trade asset to work with. The Lakers signed the forward last summer, and he played all 82 regular-season games last season, making him the team’s most reliable player in terms of availability, although his on-court performances fluctuated significantly.

The Lakers do not currently view him as untouchable, but they also will not immediately move him. Interestingly, he also has a chance to compete for a starting role. Lakers beat reporter Khobi Price said LaRavia, along with new additions Sandro Mamukelashvili and Ziaire Williams, will compete for the starting power forward position.

“LaRavia’s offensive versatility is not as strong as Mamukelashvili’s, and his perimeter defense is not as good as Thybulle’s. But he is a stronger defender than Mamukelashvili and has more experience defending physical forwards than Thybulle.” If he can consistently make open three-point shots, he could earn an advantageous position in the Lakers’ rotation.