At his best, Jarred Vanderbilt was a game-changer on the defensive end for the Los Angeles Lakers. Vanderbilt was tasked with doing the dirty work on the perimeter, and the results of that impactful defense were easy for everyone to see when the Lakers made their postseason run in 2023.
Health issues have plagued him ever since. It has been such a problem that the theory of who Vanderbilt can be has outweighed the practical results of what was being delivered for two straight seasons. That is not an encouraging thing to see from your $48 million role player.
The 2025 offseason was finally a healthy one for Vanderbilt. Instead of working on rehabbing from an injury, the Lakers forward got an opportunity to actually put in the time on polishing his craft. The gains from that have already been on full display at Lakers training camp.
Vanderbilt should theoretically be a great fit for this roster. His cutting ability offensively and his defensive upside bring an easy plug-and-play next to Luka Doncic. That will earn him his opportunities off the bench in 2025-26. If the defensive ace does not deliver, it is likely to result in his time in Los Angeles coming to an end.
Jarred Vanderbilt facing pivotal prove-it year for the Lakers
Dan Woike made an appearance on The Athletic’s NBA Daily podcast recently to discuss the team. The Lakers reporter believed the opportunity for Vanderbilt to play a similar role to that of Derrick Jones Jr. beside Doncic was there.
That would be a strong model to aspire to for Vanderbilt, assuming his athleticism has not taken too much of a hit after the years of injuries. Jones and Doncic worked well together on the Dallas Mavericks team that came up three wins short of an NBA championship in 2024.
JJ Redick, himself, also understands that Vanderbilt was not put into the best position to succeed last season with the Lakers. His responsibilities should be a lot different in 2025-26 after being asked to make up for the lack of frontcourt options in Los Angeles last season.
Redick told reporters at training camp, “Getting him back on the perimeter, his body being in a good place from an athleticism and agility standpoint, will be super helpful for our team.”
The anticipation of a strong season is building rapidly for Vanderbilt. The Lakers will need that wish to become a reality. Otherwise, that $12 million annual average salary will increasingly stick out as a necessary cap dump, especially in the current CBA climate.