WHY JAKE LARAVIA IS THE LAKERS’ UNSUNG HERO OF THE 2026 SEASON
Jake LaRavia is active for the Lakers vs Bulls! Discover the latest on Austin Reaves' recovery and the Lakers' 2026 road trip.
JJ Redick, now the Lakers’ head coach, gathered his team during the first quarter against Portland at the Moda Centre on January 17, 2026. The Lakers are in the middle of their annual Grammy road trip, and they just got a timely boost: Jake LaRavia is good to go for Monday night’s game in Chicago.
LaRavia was questionable earlier in the day with a sore left quad, but he’s cleared. That gives the Lakers another steady hand as they try to push their road trip record to 3–1.
At 24, LaRavia has really come into his own. He’s playing bigger minutes, and he’s making them count. Just last game, he helped spark the Lakers’ comeback win in Dallas—13 points, six rebounds, and a couple of threes. He’s started 14 games in a row now, giving the Lakers a mix of perimeter defence, rebounding, and scoring that’s hard to find. The numbers back it up: 11 points, 5 rebounds, over 2 assists, and nearly 2 steals per start, shooting almost 47% from the field and a solid 35% from deep. He moves all over the floor, defends multiple positions, and spaces the offence. No wonder Redick keeps him in the rotation.
Actually, LaRavia’s the only Laker who’s played every game this year. That streak keeps rolling in Chicago.
This road trip matters for the Lakers, and lineup stability is the name of the game. LaRavia’s consistency has been huge, especially with the rest of the roster dealing with injuries. The team is just half a game behind Houston for the fourth spot in the West, and every win counts.
Redick can stick with his preferred rotation now, even with a tough stretch of back-to-backs coming up.
And there’s more help on the way. Austin Reaves could be back as soon as Wednesday in Cleveland. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said Redick plans to keep the current starting lineup—LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart—until Reaves returns.
Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell mentioned that Reaves has been making progress, with no setbacks so far. Redick said Reaves got through a “stay-ready” game, and they’re hoping for one more full-court run before he’s cleared.
Redick didn’t hold back about what the Lakers have missed with Reaves out. He talked about the “violence” Reaves brings—how he attacks defenders with IQ, angles, and brute force. “First with a knife, then with a sledgehammer,” is how Redick put it. Before the calf injury, Reaves was in the best stretch of his career: nearly 27 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds a game, shooting over 50% from the field.
Rui Hachimura can’t wait to have Reaves back, but he wants to make sure he doesn’t rush it. “Honestly, I forgot he was on the team for a bit—I think since Christmas?” Hachimura joked. “We’re happy he’s coming back, but he should take it slow. I had the same injury, and you have to be careful. But he was the biggest reason for our great start. He can do it all. We’re excited.”
With LaRavia active and Reaves nearly ready, the Lakers look close to full strength just as their road trip heats up.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”