The Jarred Vanderbilt experience has been an absolute enigma during the 2025-26 season for the Los Angeles Lakers. In short spurts, Vanderbilt offers glimpses of the player he once was. In larger samples, Vando provides ample frustration for head coach JJ Redick.
The latter was on full display only a few games ago when Redick yanked Vanderbilt from the game following the headache his play delivered. With so many bodies missing, the Lakers forward got to redeem himself, but one would imagine that may not have been the case if players were healthy.
Quite frankly, if Los Angeles had a clean injury report, Vanderbilt probably would have been glued to the bench. Throughout March, when the Lakers were surging and mostly healthy, the veteran forward did not have a consistent role in Redick's rotations.
Vanderbilt has more than his fair share of games where he's been available, but has not played this season. Likewise, there are a handful of games in which he has barely left the bench even when given playing time. The writing could be on the wall for Vando amid an inevitable Lakers retool.
Jarred Vanderbilt's future with the Lakers is far from guaranteed
The main thing that is keeping Vanderbilt in town is the biggest reason why the Lakers have been stuck with him. That would be his contract.
Vanderbilt still has two years left on his four-year, $48 million deal with the Lakers. That money is fully guaranteed for the upcoming seasons, too, making any decision to outright release him a choice that cannot be openly pursued.
Vanderbilt's production has not matched his hefty price tag. The 27-year-old made the fifth most money on average among this year's Lakers roster. His $11.6 million salary trailed only LeBron James ($52.6 million), Luka Doncic ($46.0 million), Rui Hachimura ($18.3 million), and Austin Reaves ($13.9 million) in that order.
That gives Vanderbilt the unwanted status of being a bad contract. If the Lakers did try to move him previously, it was probably a tough endeavor as a result. However, now could finally be the time it becomes easier.
With just the two years remaining upon conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Vanderbilt's contract is much more movable in salary-matching purposes when doing business with a team that has no intention of being competitive. A rebuilding team can swallow that two-year hit more comfortably.
The Lakers could easily look to pair Vanderbilt with other outgoing assets to get a real upgrade on the roster for 2026-27. It would be genuinely surprising if Rob Pelinka did not explore that path at some point during the 2026 offseason.