According to a source familiar with the negotiations, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and the Los Angeles Lakers have reached a four-year, $48 million contract extension. In February, the Lakers acquired Vanderbilt from Utah. During their spectacular late-season run to the Western Conference finals, he rapidly established himself as a crucial rotation player.
Vanderbilt averaged 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game throughout the regular season despite not being a significant offensive player and frequently being forced to guard the opponent’s leading scorer. 24 regular-season games and 13 of the Lakers’ 15 postseason games were started by Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt started his NBA career in Denver after Orlando selected him in the second round in the 2018 draught. Before being acquired by the Jazz last summer, he played for Minnesota for 140 games over the course of parts of three seasons.