After being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal involving D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, which resulted in Russell Westbrook being sent to the Utah Jazz, Jarred Vanderbilt proved his worth to the team as a versatile defender.
The veteran forward showed he could be a game-changer for the Lakers, helping anchor the defense and superstar big man Anthony Davis as the team’s best perimeter defender. Russell was the biggest acquisition in the Westbrook deal, but Vanderbilt also proved to be a valuable asset.
Unfortunately, injuries took their toll on Vanderbilt during the 2023-24 NBA regular season. He only played 29 games for the Lakers before being shut down for the year. This was a devastating blow for the team and what the storied franchise was trying to do defensively.
Vanderbilt apparently underwent procedures on both feet over the summer, which was a surprising update from general manager Rob Pelinka. This has led to doubts about his status for the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 22.
During Lakers media day on Monday, Vanderbilt fielded questions for the first time and let it be known that he’s feeling good throughout his rehab process.
“I feel great. The process has been going great. I’m on a great pace and great schedule, so everything is going good,” Vanderbilt said.
Unfortunately, Vanderbilt isn’t sure whether he’ll be able to play in the first game of the regular season against the Timberwolves, which is concerning.
“I’m not quite sure. They put together a great plan for me and like I said, I’ve been making good progress. Everything is going great. Just sticking to the plan and trusting the plan and we’ll see where that takes me.”
The fact Vanderbilt underwent not one but procedures on both feet during the summer was concerning enough, but potentially not being ready for the start of the season is not ideal for obvious reasons.
Hopefully, for the sake of the team, and especially a defensive identity early, Vanderbilt will be back on the basketball floor sooner rather than later for the Lakers.
Only time will tell whether Vanderbilt can make a full recovery in the coming weeks and be ready to get back to work, as they’ll need him right out of the gate.
Lakers’ LeBron James not thinking about retirement right now
With LeBron James entering his 22nd season in the NBA and returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year deal this summer, many have wondered how much longer he’ll play professionally.
During media day on Monday, James addressed his future in the league and made it clear that he’s still got something left in the tank and is not considering retirement at this point in time with the start of the upcoming season approaching.
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