Jarred Vanderbilt’s energy and defensive versatility made him an important part of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ midseason turnaround last season, and now, he’s being rewarded with a lengthy contract extension. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Vanderbilt and the Lakers came to terms on a new deal that will last four years and pay him $48 million.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed on a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the franchise, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz told @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal is fully guaranteed with a player option in the fourth year. pic.twitter.com/4kuLlt8zeT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2023
Vanderbilt bounced around during the early part of his NBA career, as he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2018 before getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020. While he flashed his considerable potential on the defensive end of the floor in Minnesota, he was sent to Utah last offseason in the deal that sent Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves. Eventually, Los Angeles made it a point to acquire him at the trade deadline as part of a multi-team deal.
While the hope is that his jump shot will come around, Vanderbilt brought a ton of value due to his ability to guard multiple positions, rebound, and do the dirty work that is crucial alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. During his time in L.A. last year, Vanderbilt appeared in 26 games with 24 of the coming as a member of the starting lineup and averaged 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 12 steals in 24 minutes a night.
