4 Los Angeles Lakers who could be traded during the 2024-25 season

Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension following the 2022-23 campaign. 2024-25 will mark the first season on that new deal, but it could also be the last if the Los Angeles Lakers are put in a position to make that kind of decision.

The unfortunate reality for Vanderbilt is that, the better he plays, the more likely it becomes that he'll be traded if the team isn't thriving along with him.

It's the unfortunate truth facing every role player in the NBA: Personal success that doesn't lead to team success often makes you too expensive. Whether or not that's fair, it's the reality that faces Vanderbilt ahead of a make-or-break season for both himself and the LeBron James era of the Lakers.

In the event that Los Angeles is winning consistently and Vanderbilt is thriving individually, then chances are he'll be kept out of trade discussions due to his defensive versatility.

One of the complicating factors here, however, is that Vanderbilt is on one of the most tradable contracts on the team. His annual salary is projected to absorb less than eight percent of the salary cap across each of the four seasons he's signed for, which could intrigue rival executives.

If the Lakers have a chance to trade for an upgrade at another position, Vanderbilt could be included if only because of how team-friendly his deal projects to be.