Jarred Vanderbilt went from trade-rumor fixture to a real part of the Lakers’ rotation, and the shift has already shown up where Los Angeles needs it most: on the glass.
The veteran forward entered the 2026-27 NBA season with an uncertain future, as his name kept surfacing in trade talk. The expectation around the league was that he would be moved if the Lakers could find a deal, with the possibility of bringing in another big man as part of the return.
That never happened. Rob Pelinka couldn’t land the kind of two-for-one move that would have sent out Vanderbilt and the recently waived Dalton Knecht before the NBA’s deadline to finalize rosters.
Instead, Vanderbilt started the season glued to the bench. But over the last two games, he’s gotten back on the floor and made his presence felt, especially with his rebounding, an area that has been a problem for this new-look Lakers team.
In an interview with Khobi Price of The California Post, Vanderbilt talked about how he can help the team coming off the bench.
The Lakers tried to address their frontcourt depth by signing three-time NBA champion center Kevon Looney during the offseason, but that move hasn’t paid off early. Looney hasn’t made much of an impression in his first stretch with the team and has looked like a player who’s stuck on the bench. He didn’t play in either of the last two games, and that opened the door for Vanderbilt’s minutes.
Vanderbilt has not contributed much offensively - he has yet to score a point - but his defense and work on the boards have stood out. He’s averaging 17.0 minutes per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
For a Lakers team sitting dead last in the league in rebounds at 39.2 per game, that matters.
When Vanderbilt is out there, the energy picks up. So does the physical edge. He’s been active, physical and willing to do the dirty work that can keep possessions alive.
After spending the offseason as trade bait and the start of the year watching from the sideline, Vanderbilt now looks like he has a role. For a Lakers team that badly needs help rebounding, that’s a meaningful turn.
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