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via Imago

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via Imago

The Lakers opened free agency with a move that no one quite saw coming, not because of who they signed, but how quickly and confidently they did it. On Day 1, Los Angeles handed Jake LaRavia, a relatively untested 23-year-old forward, a two-year, $12 million deal. No workouts. No buzz. No headlines predicting the fit. Just a sudden, decisive acquisition from a front office that, up until now, had been expected to aim higher.

LaRavia was an Indiana All-Star while playing at Lawrence Central High School. After getting selected in the 2022 NBA draft, though, he spent more time in the Summer League and G-League with not much to boast about. Most recently with the Sacramento Kings, he closed the 2024–25 season on an upward swing, averaging 8.6 points while shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc over his final 12 games. For a player on the fringe of rotations, those are the kinds of numbers that keep you employed. But his broader NBA resume tells a more tempered story: 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and inconsistent minutes across three seasons, much of them split between the main roster and the G League. In short, LaRavia has promise. What he doesn’t have is proof. 

Behind the scenes, this move goes on to point out the Lakers’ dual intentions: to maintain rotational flexibility and preserve cap space for larger targets. But the urgency of paying full MLE money and hard-capping themselves prompted some to question whether L.A. might be cutting corners. That’s where the familiar voice of former Warrior-turned-Lakers-superfan Gilbert Arenas steps in to make his stance clear on the move. 

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Arenas ignited social feeds with his blunt assessment. The execution of the signing, not the player himself, was what set him off. “Never in my life have I ever seen a bench player be signed so fast during free agency. So this is what we doin’, now Lakers huh, signin’ Jake from All State.” he said. What’s sharp in Arenas’ delivery, beyond the sarcasm, is the implication: the Lakers didn’t just sign a role player; they did it like they were locking down a franchise-altering piece. In an offseason where much bigger names are floating in the water, the LaRavia announcement came off as vastly disproportionate. Then came Arenas’ next volley: 

 

“The nerve of this post saying ‘breaking news.’ Breaking news is if we sign [Jonathan] Kuminga. That’s breaking news. If we signed Ayton, who just hit the market—breaking news. If we stole Myles Turner from Indiana—breaking news. N****s who averaged six points last year? That ain’t breaking news.” He said, drawing a clear line between substance and spectacle. He doesn’t just aim for the Lakers’ front office, but also at how the media covered it. A routine bench signing had been elevated to headline status, while more impactful roster possibilities like DeAndre Ayton, who had just finalized a buyout with the Trail Blazers, were still on the table.

“You a damn fool, huh. We could’ve got him dead last right before training camp, we could’ve had him try out. He had a 6-point, we could’ve had him try the f*** out… Then put him in league with Bronny, put him in summer league with Bronny. S***, he probably won’t make that cut.” There’s no mistaking the frustration here—not with LaRavia per se, but with what Arenas sees as misaligned priorities. He’s questioning why the Lakers would hard-cap themselves early (by using the MLE) instead of leaving that space open for a more dynamic move. And with Bronny James already expected to headline the Summer League roster, Arenas’ jab cuts even deeper: if LaRavia can’t clearly outperform Bronny—a rookie with no professional track record—what exactly did the Lakers rush to secure?

What’s your perspective on:

Is Gilbert Arenas right to call out the Lakers' desperation, or is he overreacting?

Have an interesting take?

But again, it’s not just about who the Lakers signed that’s drawn scrutiny; it’s who they haven’t made a move for yet. And if you ask Gilbert Arenas, that gap begins and ends with DeAndre Ayton.

Gil urges the Lakers to grab Ayton

For Arenas, the Lakers’ front office has its eyes in the wrong place. On a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, he made it clear that DeAndre Ayton—just bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers—is not just another name on the market. “He’s a free agent now… he has to be the most important free agent in the moment of time,” he said, highlighting how Ayton’s production and availability put him in a tier of his own. And the numbers back him up: Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season, while shooting 56.6% from the field—his sixth straight season putting up double-digit boards and efficient shooting.

Arenas doubled down by stating, “If you just going off of period numbers averaging double‑[doubles] your whole career shooting 60% from your career from field… you 26 years old.” The emphasis on Ayton’s age isn’t trivial. Most bigs hit their prime between 26–30, and Ayton has already logged meaningful playoff experience with Phoenix. That combination, youth, efficiency, and postseason reps, makes him more than just a depth upgrade. He offers what the Lakers have faced struggles with: challenges at center since their 2020 title run. Add to that Ayton’s relatively clean injury history and his ability to finish around the rim without needing touches, and he becomes the kind of player who can quietly lift your floor and ceiling simultaneously. But Arenas’s case goes deeper than just on-court metrics. 

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“I’m just thinking about so many teams that like damn… he just becomes the number one free agent in the open market because he changes your franchise because of the age, because he already has money,” he added. Ayton’s willingness to accept a buyout, reportedly forfeiting around $10 million to exit Portland, signals a shift in his mindset. He’s not chasing a max deal anymore. He’s chasing opportunity. And for a Lakers team trying to stay competitive around LeBron’s final years while building a younger core, a player like Ayton, motivated and available, is rare.

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Arenas finished with a blunt assessment of Ayton’s leverage: “So basically whoever he want to say yeah I’m willing to come there to fuck you to Portland… there’s so many: New York… I like that… I mean New York—that’s an upgrade offensively for you at the five.” It’s not just about what Ayton brings—it’s about where he might take it. Arenas warns that if the Lakers don’t act quickly, a team like the Knicks could swoop in and solve their own big-man void with Ayton’s all-around skill set. 

And unlike the LaRavia deal, which locks up a rotation flyer at the cost of cap space, Ayton would be a centerpiece acquisition. One that comes with a chip on his shoulder, and the tools to deliver on it.

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Is Gilbert Arenas right to call out the Lakers' desperation, or is he overreacting?

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