The Los Angeles Lakers announced forward Jarred Vanderbilt has advanced to full-court activities with contact. The Lakers will continue to monitor Vanderbilt’s progress and he will be re-evaluated in one week.
Vanderbilt has yet to make his 2024-25 season debut after undergoing surgery on both of his feet in the offseason and some lingering knee soreness but appears to be nearing a return to play. This is another positive update as head coach JJ Redick recently said Vanderbilt was making real progress in his rehab process.
Los Angeles is still thin in the frontcourt after the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith who can slide up to power forward and center in certain lineups, so Vanderbilt’s looming return would serve as a huge boost to the team. While not the same offensive threat from beyond the arc that Finney-Smith is, Vanderbilt’s a versatile defender who fights for rebounds and and loose balls.
Teams try to mitigate Vanderbilt’s utility by sagging off of him defensively, but the forward is still a useful player who should have a solid role on the Lakers once he returns. Redick has talked about wanting the team to be more physical and Vanderbilt would help address that as he normally plays with high effort and energy on both ends of the floor.
It remains to be seen at this juncture how much more time Vanderbilt will miss, but it sounds like there’s a shot he’ll be suiting up sometime before the NBA trade deadline. Los Angeles is reportedly hoping to see what they have with Vanderbilt before making another trade, and this would offer them an opportunity to do so.
Even when Vanderbilt comes back, the Lakers could use a true center to either play alongside or behind Anthony Davis. Vanderbilt’s got the size and quickness to play against smaller big men, but L.A. doesn’t have another true center on the roster that can hold up in extended minutes.
Lakers have no interest in trading Dalton Knecht or Rui Hachimura
Despite Jarred Vanderbilt’s upcoming return to play, the Lakers have a couple of needs they need to address before being considered a serious title contender. The need for another big man is well-documented, though the team could use another scorer or 3-and-D player.
Los Angeles would need to send something of value to get that sort of player back in a deal, but they are reportedly not interesting in including Dalton Knecht or Rui Hachimura in any trade proposals.
