Lakers to signal Jarred Vanderbilt to a four-year, $48 million extension, per report

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a four-year, $48 million extension with Jarred Vanderbilt, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Charania notes that the deal is totally assured with a participant possibility within the ultimate season, which might be 2027-28. 

The extension will start in 2024-25, with Vanderbilt set to make $4.7M this season within the ultimate yr of his present deal, which was a staff possibility that the Lakers exercised in June. 

Locking up Vanderbilt is the most recent transfer for a Lakers staff that’s beginning to put collectively some continuity with a youthful basis that might, maybe, be in place for a post-LeBron period. 

This summer season, the Lakers, along with drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino with the seventeenth total decide and taking a low-cost flier on Jaxson Hayes, signed 27-year-old Gabe Vincent whereas inking Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, each 25, to three- and four-year extensions, respectively. 

Getting Vanderbilt at a median annual wage of $12M is an efficient deal for each side. At the very least, he’s a defensive stud and an amazing mover on each side of the ball. He has limitations, clearly. His capturing is an issue, as we noticed within the Lakers’ first-round playoff collection when the Grizzlies mainly disregarded him as an offensive menace, leaving him unguarded as Jaren Jackson Jr. roamed round as a rim-and-paint protector. 

If Vanderbilt’s capturing does not enhance, he might turn into unplayable for lengthy stretches of playoff video games, and definitely in fourth quarters, relying on the matchup. For the other motive, D’Angelo Russell is extra of a regular-season innings eater, as properly. 

But that is not set in stone, and each guys can nonetheless have impactful postseason moments. Having a 6-foot-8 cellular defender like Vanderbilt who can disrupt on ball and chase endlessly off it’s a priceless instrument in any contender’s equipment, and the Lakers made positive to safe Vanderbilt’s providers on an affordable contract that might even be palatable in a possible commerce package deal. For all these causes, that is good for each side.