The person who lobbied Li Huang to renew his contract? The new favorite of the Lakers does far more than that. He made the Grizzlies manager admit his mistake.

It takes courage to admit mistakes. With KPI pressure on their heads, few team executives are willing to admit their operational mistakes. But at the 2024-25 season summary press conference, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman publicly admitted his mistake.

"I think we should have exercised the team option on Laravia (in the fourth year of his rookie contract), and we made a mistake," Kleiman said.

Normally, for a first-round pick, if the team option in the third or fourth year of the rookie contract is not exercised, it is almost equivalent to a "death penalty" for the career. For example, Bender, the No. 4 pick in 2016 (not executed in the fourth year), and Schiffino, the No. 17 pick in 2023 (not executed in the third year), etc. Unemployment is their outcome.

However, Laravia, the No. 19 pick in 2022, has no intention of becoming a footnote to this iron law and becoming a passer-by in the NBA. After being given up by the Grizzlies and Kings one after another, Laravia captured the hearts of fans with his outstanding performance in Los Angeles and became the new darling of the Lakers.

Pelinka signed Laravia with the intention of showing favor to his agent Aaron Riley, because Aaron Riley is also Reeves' agent. But Laravia proved with his performance that he is more than just a tool to attract Reeves to re-sign with the Lakers.

In the summer of 2025, Laravia becomes a completely free agent. Although the Kings wanted to keep Laravia, they were unable to come up with an attractive contract due to the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement. It was a foregone conclusion that Lalavia would leave Sacramento.

"Every team can use players like Laravia," a Western Conference team executive believes that Laravia has no shortage of potential buyers. Another executive praised Laravia for his shooting and ball-handling attributes as well as his tough style.

Where will Laravia go? The Lakers are one of the popular options. Laravia was born in Los Angeles and lived there until her family moved to Indianapolis when she was 5 years old. Before the free market opened, LaRavia participated in a video podcast. The host asked LaRavia if it was possible to join the Lakers. LaRavia did not answer, but turned the camera of his phone to the side.

It was Reeves who appeared in the video. Maybe Laravia was already committed to the Lakers at that time.

Originally, Reeves and Laravia had no intersection, but fate made them become good friends by chance. Alondes Williams is the 2022 NBA undrafted. He was teammates with Reeves at the University of Oklahoma for two years, and then transferred to Wake Forest University to become teammates with Laravia.

"I met and got to know Reeves through my college teammates when I was in college. Later, we signed with the same agency, and I have been in contact with him since I was selected in the draft," Laravia revealed.

Laravia entered the pre-draft market to lock in the first round. He could have chosen a bigger agent, but instead chose the then-little-known Aaron Riley. Although Reeves is now Aaron Riley's signature brand, at that time Reeves had just finished his first season with the Lakers. What impressed Laravia was everything Aaron Riley did around Reeves participating in the draft and joining the Lakers after losing the draft. He was confident that his career plan would be handed over to Aaron Riley, who had not yet become famous at the time.

Looking back on the past, Laravia was also a favorite of the Grizzlies, and his template was Gordon Hayward. In the 2022 joint trials, Laravia ranked high in tests such as shooting, agility, and speed. His solid basic skills, underrated athletic ability, and all-around skills were well received. The Grizzlies traded the No. 22 and No. 29 picks together in exchange for the No. 19 pick, and then got Laravia as they wished.

Kleiman has a very high opinion of Laravia, but it is a pity that Laravia has never been able to find a position due to his own injuries and the team's chaotic situation. Coupled with the emergence of GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells, Aldama's progress, Laravia faces fierce competition, and the Grizzlies gave up executing Laravia's fourth-year team option on the grounds of "maintaining the openness of the team's quota and salary space." In the middle of the 2024-25 season, the Grizzlies will send Laravia, who has played the most efficient performance in his career, to the Kings. After the season, Laravia becomes a free agent.

After the free market opened, the Lakers failed to retain Finney-Smith. According to The Athletic, the Lakers offered a two-year contract, while the Rockets offered a four-year, $53 million contract (actually the third year of this contract is non-guaranteed). When Finney-Smith chose to leave the Lakers, the Lakers' first recruiting call was to Laravia. Pelinka explained the Lakers' advantages to Laravia, and Redick detailed how he planned to use Lalavia. Laravia was impressed, and the Lakers defeated many teams and signed Lalavia for 2 years and $12 million.

Are the Lakers pursuing Laravia just for competitive reasons? Not so.

In the 2025 offseason, the Lakers' "power transfer" signal is extremely clear. Ayton, who was introduced by the Lakers, and Doncic belong to the same agency. Smart, who was introduced by the Lakers, was personally recruited by Doncic. Pelinka's intention to coax Doncic was clear, and in the end, Doncic renewed his contract with the Lakers in advance.

The Lakers are pursuing Laravia and also have the intention of coaxing Reeves. Reeves refused to renew his contract in advance this summer and will enter the free market in 2026. This was confirmed by ESPN reporter McMenamin. McMenamin explained in the show: "Laravia and Reeves share an agent, which can be regarded as an olive branch. The Lakers' operation means, 'Reeves, we hope to continue to cooperate with you.' This is a typical power operation in the NBA."

The Athletic Lakers team reporter Dan Walker also mentioned: "This signing clearly shows that the Lakers attach great importance to maintaining the relationship with Reeves' team."

The Lakers management is well aware of this "binding" operation method. In the past, Pelinka repeatedly introduced Rich Paul's clients when he built the team around James..

Don't think of Laravia as a "relative" because of this. Like Schroeder and Monk, he regarded the Lakers as a lifeline after encountering a crisis in his career. Laravia attaches great importance to the Lakers' high exposure and market factors. At the same time, the Lakers' top ball-handlers are full of configurations, which gives Laravia the prerequisites for a hot performance.

Laravia is a wing that combines size, shooting, and athletic ability that the Lakers desperately need. If according to 3D standards, Laravia's three-point production and defense are not top-notch, but Laravia is strong in being able to do a little bit of everything. Moreover, it is cheaper than Finney-Smith.

Laravia regarded himself as a "pure shooter" when he was a child. He did not fall behind in the three-point competition with senior players, and even won the three-point contest championship. Under the compulsion of his father, Jeff, Laravia joined the ball-handling training and was able to face the full-court press and launch a counterattack with the ball after grabbing rebounds. In any era, a wing with an official height of 2.01 meters, who can handle the ball and shoot three-pointers is a scarce resource. He brought these qualities to college, to the Grizzlies and Kings, and then to the Lakers.

Laravia does not have the mentality of a star player who is exclusive to himself. He has a clear positioning of himself - "the best role player" and "a puzzle piece for the championship." After joining the Lakers, Laravia said: "I think I can integrate into the Lakers, open up space and make cuts. If necessary, I can take on some organizational roles. I can help the team rebound, defend, and take over certain matchups." Laravia has endured a lot of doubts. Reeves sent a text message to encourage his friends: "Don't be discouraged! Even if you miss 100 goals in a row, I don't care, just keep shooting! We need you, and I support you!"

The power of trust has catalyzed Laravia's stunning explosions in the past three games. Against the Timberwolves, Laravia made 10 of 11 shots (5 of 6 three-pointers) and scored 27 points and 8 rebounds. Against the Grizzlies, Laravia made 5 of 8 shots and scored 13 points and 3 steals. Against the Heat, Laravia made 10 of 13 shots (2 of 3 three-pointers) and scored 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.

Laravia's transition attack is like a cheetah running towards him, his open three-pointers are extremely accurate, and his timing of air cuts shows off his basketball IQ. Laravia even showed off his skillful golden rooster independence several times when he was out of position, making people exclaim, "So he can do this again."

In fact, before the draft, Laravia analyzed himself: "If a big man guards me, I can break through him. I can also be independent. I am the type that the coach likes. The coach can put me in any position. I am very comprehensive and can do anything." However, it was not until Laravia came to the Lakers and appeared on the big stage that his shining points were noticed by the world.

Now, the handsome and capable Laravia has become the new darling of Los Angeles, and he also has to thank Anthony Edwards for adding fuel to the fire. Before Laravia defeated the Timberwolves, a Timberwolves fan was beaten by Laravia's accurate three-pointer and shouted, "Who is this No. 12?" Edwards, who was unable to play due to injury, raised his hands on the sidelines and shouted, "I also want to know who he is." In the age of social media, this video went viral, making more people aware of Laravia.

In recent years, the Lakers have become a gilded sanctuary for the frustrated. Schroeder got a two-year, $26 million contract with the Raptors when he left the Lakers, and Monk left the Lakers and got a two-year, $19 million contract from the Kings.

Perhaps Laravia can also successfully win a big contract with the Lakers, but he will have to wait until 2027. Pelinka should be lucky that this two-year, $12 million contract has no player options.