Amid a preseason that will help the Los Angeles Lakers finalize the back end of their roster, there is a good chance Jarred Vanderbilt is staying put. That mainly has to do with his contract. His actual position in the pecking order is not working to save his gig right now.
Vanderbilt had an improved performance in the Lakers' second preseason game, despite the team getting roughhoused in a one-sided 124-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Even with the modest effort from Vando, it was clear where he stood among his peers was not high. Jovan Buha pointed out as much on his recent podcast.
"From what we've seen, he's almost like the fourth-string center at this point. ... From actual playing time perspective, he's been more of the 16th man."
Being the 16th man on the main roster when there are only 15 spots available would typically set someone up to be waived or traded. That is unlikely to be the case here, of course. Buha mentioned it on his show, and everyone else knows it, too: Vanderbilt's contract gives him job security.
Jarred Vanderbilt's price tag continues to work against the Lakers
Let us beat a dead horse until it is glue. Vanderbilt is owed around $25.7 million over the next two years of his current deal. That is not 15th or 16th man on the roster money. That is productive role player money.
To really highlight that, look at the contracts the Lakers just gave to Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Vanderbilt is only a notch below them when it comes to what each player will earn in 2026-27.
Grimes leads the trio at close to $14 million. Mamukelashvili is making $13 million. Vanderbilt coming in at around $12.4 million right after that is the unfortunate set of circumstances that everyone rightfully views it as. That is a deal no franchises are jumping to take off the Lakers' hands.
Rob Pelinka has tried. There were murmurings throughout the offseason of attempting to package Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht in an outgoing trade to bring back someone who could contribute for the Lakers. Unsurprisingly, nothing came of it.
Vanderbilt's contract extension was given out before teams truly understood how tough this current NBA CBA climate was going to be. Now, the Lakers are evidently stuck.
When Vando's deal becomes a $13.3 million expiring contract for the 2027-28 season, the Lakers may have better luck with trying to find him a new home. In the meantime, the veteran forward is number 16 in Los Angeles and on his way to becoming number 15 by the will of his contract.
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