Vanderbilt will come off the bench during Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
Vanderbilt will be in the second unit, with Luka Doncic (finger) and Marcus Smart (quadriceps) returning. Jake LaRavia will also have a bench role for Friday's matchup. Vanderbilt is averaging 5.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 40 percent from the field.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Fares well as starter
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Vanderbilt provided 14 points (6-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals over 28 minutes during Monday's 122-108 loss to the Trail Blazers.
The Lakers were extremely shorthanded Monday, allowing Vanderbilt to move into the starting lineup. He's averaging 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals over his last two games, proving his worth as a short-term streamer until the Lakers get some reinforcements back.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Starting Monday
Rotowire
Vanderbilt will move into the starting lineup for Monday's matchup with Portland, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Gabe Vincent (ankle) and Marcus Smart (quad) will join LeBron James (pinched nerve) and Luka Doncic (finger/leg) on the sidelines for Monday's game, which will result in Vanderbilt getting the start. Joining him in the first unit will be Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton. Vanderbilt is capable of racking up the defensive stats when given the minutes, so he's on the radar as a potential deep league streamer.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Strong performance in win
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Vanderbilt closed with nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals over 27 minutes during Sunday's 127-120 victory over the Kings.
Jaxson Hayes (knee) sat this game out and joined a growing injury report in Los Angeles -- LeBron James (back) and Luka Doncic (finger) both remain on the shelf for the immediate future. Vanderbilt has strong rebounding and steal rates, so if the minutes are there, he can do some damage in those categories.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Headed to bench
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Vanderbilt will come off the bench in Friday's exhibition game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Head coach JJ Redick previously noted Friday's starters will be the Lakers' starters for Opening Night, so it looks like Vanderbilt will begin the year as a reserve. There will be more minutes available for him with LeBron James (pinched nerve) set to begin the year sidelined, but Vanderbilt's upside will be capped in a second-unit role.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Available for preseason finale
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Vanderbilt (quadriceps) is available for Friday's preseason finale against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Vanderbilt left Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks due to a left quad contusion, but the issue has proven to be of minimal concern. With LeBron James (sciatica) not expected to make his season debut until around mid-November, Vanderbilt has one more chance to make his case for an Opening Night start.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Early exit with quad bruise
Rotowire
Vanderbilt has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks due to a left quad contusion, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Vanderbilt took a knee to the thigh during a second-quarter collision with Dereck Lively, and the former won't return due to what's being called a left quad contusion. Vanderbilt will finish the contest with five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), seven rebounds, four assists and one block across 13 minutes. His next chance to play will come Friday against Sacramento -- the Lakers' preseason finale. In the meantime, Christian Koloko and Anton Watson could see more minutes.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Starting Wednesday
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Vanderbilt is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Vanderbilt rested during the opening end of the Lakers' back-to-back set Tuesday, but he'll be part of the first five against Dallas. With LeBron James (sciatica) expected to miss the start of the regular season, Vanderbilt could see frequent starts at the power forward spot.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Suiting up vs. Dallas
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Vanderbilt (rest) will play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Vanderbilt sat out Tuesday's loss to the Suns, though he'll return for the second leg of the team's back-to-back set. The 2018 second-round pick is set to enter the 2025-26 campaign at full strength after appearing in just 65 regular-season games over the past two seasons.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Will not play Tuesday
Rotowire
Vanderbilt (rest) has been ruled out for Tuesday's preseason game against the Suns, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Vanderbilt will be among a few notable players that head coach JJ Redick will keep out for rest purposes Tuesday. The veteran forward joins Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura. The next opportunity for these veterans to return to the floor will be Wednesday against the Mavericks.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Strong two-way performance in loss
Rotowire
Vanderbilt compiled nine points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 21 minutes during Sunday's 111-103 preseason loss to Golden State.
Vanderbilt remained in the starting lineup, a position he could very well find himself in come Opening Night. He brings a defensive presence to a team desperately in need of an identity on that end of the court. After having dealt with multiple injuries over the past couple of years, the hope is that Vanderbilt can stay healthy, allowing him to build some much-needed momentum. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, look for Vanderbilt to play minutes in the low to mid-20s on most nights.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Will start Friday
Rotowire
Vanderbilt will be in the starting lineup in Friday's game against the Suns, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Vanderbilt will be a starter, along with Jake LaRavia, due to the absence of Luka Doncic (rest) and LeBron James (glute). There's a chance Vanderbilt and LaRavia will start again Sunday against the Warriors if the team's two superstars are ruled out for a second straight game. Doncic has already been ruled out against Golden State.
Vanderbilt amassed two points (0-1 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 19 minutes during Wednesday's 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Vanderbilt didn't make much of an impact for the Lakers during the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, averaging 1.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.2 minutes. Injuries were once again an issue for the Kentucky product during the regular season, as he missed the first 42 matchups of the campaign while recovering from offseason foot surgery. Vanderbilt has appeared in only 65 regular-season games over his last two campaigns with the Lakers.
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