James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports that Sacramento Kings forwardJake LaRavia (thumb) was diagnosed with a bone contusion in his left thumb Friday and will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days. The 23-year-old will now likely miss the next four Kings contests. He could potentially return on April 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While LaRavia is out of action, veteran forward Doug McDermott and Trey Lyles will likely be in line for expanded roles and extra minutes on the floor.

Sacramento Kings forward Jake LaRavia (thumb) could be out on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers, as the team lists him as questionable on the injury report. He has landed on the report with a sore left thumb, which isn't a serious injury. However, LaRavia might still have to take Thursday night off to recover better. Since arriving from Memphis, LaRavia has steadily improved his performances. He has averaged 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 22.3 minutes over his last five appearances. If LaRavia is unavailable on Thursday, Doug McDermott and Trey Lyles may see more playing time, although they should not be considered strong fantasy options.

Sacramento Kings forward Jake LaRavia (illness) is available to play ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls. LaRavia is back in action after sitting out of Wednesday's game due to an illness. LaRavia has been playing a bigger role lately with 21 minutes or more in six of his last seven games. Despite that, LaRavia has only scored double digits in three of those contests. He'll be a low-end streaming option for Thursday's slate.

Sacramento Kings forward Jake LaRavia (illness) will not be in the lineup on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a late addition to the injury report due to an illness, and the team has ruled him out after initially listing LaRavia as questionable. The Wake Forest product should now also be considered iffy for Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Trey Lyles figures to benefit the most from LaRavia's absence, while Doug McDermott and Isaac Jones may pick up a few extra minutes of action.

The Sacramento Kings are acquiring forward Jake LaRavia in a three-way deal that includes Marcus Smart heading to Washington and multiple second-round picks going to the Grizzlies, who gain roster flexibility as well. The Kings will also send Alex Len to Washington as part of the trade. LaRavia played 47 minutes for the Grizzlies this year off the bench, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 20.9 minutes per game. The versatile swing-man will likely join the Kings bench and could have a similar workshare once he settles in with his new squad.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (back) will be active against the New York Knicks on Monday. The 23-year-old has overcome a back problem that forced LaRavia to miss three games. LaRavia has had a few good performances in 2024-25 but tends to be inconsistent. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for the campaign. With Marcus Smart (finger) currently the only regular rotation player absent for the Grizzlies, LaRavia is unlikely to have a significant role in Monday's contest.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (back) is in danger of missing his fourth consecutive game after drawing a questionable tag for Monday's game against the New York Knicks. The 23-year-old appeared in all 42 games leading up to this stretch and saw around 21 minutes per contest while averaging 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. If he remains sidelined, GG Jackson II, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama (questionable - illness) should all continue to see minutes. If Aldama doesn't play, Jackson would be a solid option in deep leagues.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (back) will miss Wednesday's contest against Charlotte. This is unsurprising, as the team listed LaRavia as doubtful on the initial injury report. LaRavia has flaws in his game, but he has featured fairly prominently in the rotation throughout the campaign, averaging 21.8 minutes a night. We may see more of GG Jackson II and Santi Aldama due to LaRavia's absence on Wednesday. Aldama has already been a regular in the rotation, while Jackson II logged 11 minutes in his season debut on Monday against Minnesota.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (ankle) will not play against Phoenix on Tuesday. He injured his right ankle against Oklahoma City on Sunday and will have to sit out at least one game. LaRavia's first opportunity to return will come on Friday against Sacramento. His absence opens up additional playing time for Luke Kennard and Cam Spencer. They might end up being very heavily involved in Tuesday's action, as the Grizzlies enter the contest with a lengthy list of injuries. LaRavia is among seven absent rotational players.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (illness), previously listed as a game-time decision due to illness, will be available to play against the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Despite being sick, he is healthy enough to play. In his last five games, he has averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. Desmond Bane (back) and Lamar Stevens (adductor), listed as questionable earlier in the day, will also be suiting up.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (ankle) will miss a 12th consecutive game on Tuesday against the Knicks. He hurt his left ankle in the same matchup on Jan. 13 and was diagnosed with a Grade 2 high ankle sprain. The 22-year-old was set to be re-evaluated by the team in three weeks, but there haven't been any updates on LaRavia's status. Memphis could really use an extra body right now, as the team rolled with only eight players against Boston on Sunday.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (eye) is listed as questionable for Monday's matchup against the Mavericks. He hasn't played since Nov. 1 due to an eye issue, but LaRavia appears close to returning to action after previously having carried a doubtful tag. The 22-year-old didn't feature a lot for the Grizzlies when he was healthy but could currently earn some extra minutes as the team continues to deal with a number of absentees. However, there's no reason to pick him up in fantasy hoops.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (eye) underwent a procedure on his left eye and hasn't played since November 1. He seems to be creeping towards getting back on the court though as he was officially listed as doubtful for Friday's contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Getting someone back for this thin frontcourt would be huge and when he does return, that would likely mean fewer minutes for Santi Aldama and Xavier Tillman Sr. For now, though, Aldama still serves as the top streaming option.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (eye) is questionable for Saturday's meeting with the Spurs. The 22-year-old has spent time in the G League this season but has appeared in five games for the big club, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds while shooting a disastrous 16.7% from deep. While those numbers aren't anything for fantasy managers to get excited about, LaRavia could see more action, considering the Grizzlies' lengthy injury report. Still, it's tough to envision LaRavia doing anything meaningful, assuming he plays, primarily since Memphis could rely more on David Roddy, Ziaire Williams, and John Konchar to pick up most of the slack.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

... [More]

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia had a big performance in the Summer League against the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, leading the squad to a 95-86 victory with a team-high 25 points. Following a miserable 2-for-11 performance from the field in Memphis' Summer League opener Monday against Philadelphia, LaRavia has 16 first-quarter points and nailed three of four shots from downtown. He finished 4-for-9 overall from deep and 9-for-18 overall from the field, while also logging three rebounds and two steals. The 2022 first-round was held back by poor shooting and he didn't earn a lot of playing time during his rookie year, averaging 11.8 minutes per game while suiting up just 35 times. He will be hoping for a larger role in 2023-24, but LaRavia likely won't impact things in fantasy basketball.