Lakers Make Key Decision on $48 Million Forward Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Lakers made a key personnel decision ahead of their back-to-back home games against the San Antonio Spurs on January 11 and 13.

They have assigned forward Jarred Vanderbilt to the South Bay Lakers, the team announced on Friday, January 10, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The move was to give Vanderbilt more court time as he ramped up toward his imminent return. The 6-foot-8 forward has not played since February 1, 2024, in Boston after suffering a midfoot sprain that sidelined him for the remainder of last season.

Vanderbilt underwent surgery on his right foot and removed a bone spur in his left foot in May.

The South Bay Lakers are scheduled to play the Stockton Kings on January 11. But it remains unclear if Vanderbilt will see action.

Lakers Forward Will Be On a Minute Restriction

Vanderbilt’s imminent return is a welcome development for the Lakers with the NBA trade deadline less than a month away. According to Lakers coach JJ Redick, Vanderbilt will be on minute restriction when he returns.

“Obviously his defensive versatility and being able to guard up or down will be great for our group. But I would just say, initially coming back, it’s going to be in small doses,” Redick told reporters on January 9, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “That’s just the reality. He hasn’t played basketball in almost a year, we have to be cognizant of building him up for, hopefully, a playoff run.”

Redick does not want to rush Vanderbilt coming off a serious injury. He plans to ease him into his rotation which he now has the luxury of doing after they traded for Dorian Finney-Smith, who is as versatile a defender as Vanderbilt.

“I think it starts with trusting your body, and that’s something that any athlete who has had a serious injury or had surgery knows,” Redick continued. “And it doesn’t happen in one game. It doesn’t happen in two games. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to really trust your body. And then, the conditioning piece would probably be the other one. Those are probably the two biggest things.”

New Role for Jarred Vanderbilt?

Clutchpoints’ Anthony Irwin reported that Redick has an interesting vision for Vanderbilt when he returns to the Lakers lineup.

“Whenever Vanderbilt does return, sources say he’ll be used up and down the Lakers’ frontcourt, and will almost assuredly spend time at center in Redick’s athletic, switchy vision for the team,” Irwin reported on January 7.

A 6-foot-8 chiseled forward with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Vanderbilt has the bulk to match up against frontcourt players and the athleticism to defend guards and perimeter players.

Vanderbilt played a key role in the Lakers reaching the 2023 Western Conference Finals. During that playoff run, he was assigned the role of guarding the opposition’s wing scorer, a job he performed exceptionally.

Vanderbilt averaged 5.2 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field in 29 games last season. He is on the first year of a four-year, $48 million contract extension.

The hope is Vanderbilt’s return could help the Lakers improve on their 23rd-ranked defense.