NBA
The LA Lakers plan to exercise Jarred Vanderbilt’s $4.7 million team option for the 2023-24 season
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated28 Jun 2023
Before the trade deadline last year, the LA Lakers did not look like a playoff-caliber team. Their roster lacked depth at the forward position. LeBron James and Anthony Davis had injuries last season and the Lakers needed a few players who they could plug into similar roles. That’s why they acquired Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz at the trade deadline. The Lakers plan to exercise Vanderbilt’s $4.7 million team option for the 2023-24 season.
While Vanderbilt is not the same player as LeBron or AD, he still played a big role for the Lakers on defense. After the trade deadline, the Lakers started to pick up momentum and they were in the playoff hunt again. As the seven-seed in the 2023 postseason, they made it to the Conference Finals.
Despite being swept by the Nuggets in the WCF, the Lakers look ready to run it back with their roster from last season. Vanderbilt will be a part of their roster in 2023-24.
Speaking of expected LAL moves, the Lakers plan to exercise the $4.7 million team option for Jarred Vanderbilt for next season, sources told ESPN. The 24-year-old forward will be eligible for a contract extension extension worth up to 4 years and $71 million starting Sept. 7.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 28, 2023
Jarred Vanderbilt will be a part of the Lakers’ 2023-24 roster
In 26 games played with 24 starts for the Lakers last season, Vanderbilt averaged (7.2) points, (6.2) rebounds, and (1.2) assists. The Lakers had a solid rotation at Forward last season. Vanderbilt is listed as a PF, but he has the skills to guard players on the wing.
Lakers fans were not sure how Vanderbilt would fit into the rotation when the team initially made the trade. In his fifth game with the Lakers, he had 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 steals in a comeback win. That’s when his true potential started to shine.
Head coach Darvin Ham would have Vanderbilt guard the other team’s best wing player. The 24-year-old has lateral quickness and agility to stay connected on defense. Not every player who’s six-foot-nine can move as fluidly as Vanderbilt does. On September 7, he’ll be eligible for a four-year, $71 million contract extension with the Lakers.
