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
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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: Early exit with quad bruise
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Quiet in Game 5 loss
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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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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Available vs. Portland
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Vanderbilt (foot) has been cleared to play in Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Vanderbilt will be one of the few players in the Lakers' regular rotation who will play in the team's regular-season finale Sunday. The defensive-minded forward is averaging 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 48.8 percent from the field.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Iffy for Saturday
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Vanderbilt is questionable for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers due to left foot injury management, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Vanderbilt is one of several Lakers who are questionable for Sunday's contest, but a decision on his status will likely be made closer to the 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff. If he ends up being upgraded to available, look for Vanderbilt to handle a sizable role in the rotation since the coaching staff has decided to give most of the rotation regulars a day off in this regular-season finale.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Ejected vs. San Antonio
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Vanderbilt was ejected from Monday's game against the Spurs after being assessed a double technical foul, Mark Medina of TheSportingTribune.com reports.
The 25-year-old got into an altercation with Jeremy Sochan, who was also tossed midway through the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt will finish the game with two points (1-2 FG), one rebound and one assist across 15 minutes.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Retreating to bench vs. Phoenix
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Vanderbilt will come off the bench during Sunday's game against the Suns, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Dorian Finney-Smith will return from a one-game absence, pushing Vanderbilt to the second unit. Over his last 10 outings (two starts), the 25-year-old has averaged 6.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals across 19.6 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Back to bench Monday
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Vanderbilt is not in the Lakers' starting lineup against the Nets on Monday, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Vanderbilt started in Saturday's loss against the Celtics. He will retreat to the bench Monday while the Lakers go with a starting five of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht and Alex Len.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Grabs eight rebounds in loss
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Vanderbilt finished Saturday's 111-101 loss to the Celtics with four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 29 minutes.
Vanderbilt logged his first start of the season as the team continued to tinker with the frontcourt depth chart. If there ever was a moment for Vanderbilt to show his worth after languishing on the bench for two full seasons with the Lakers, now would be the time. The backcourt still doesn't have a consistent solution for Anthony Davis' missed production, and Saturday's injury to LeBron James (groin) will add immense pressure for everyone to step up and contribute. Vanderbilt proved during his tenure in Minnesota that he has the skills to be a nightly contributor, but he's struggled to replicate that success.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Moving to starting role
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Vanderbilt is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Celtics, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
The Lakers are tweaking their lineup due to the absence of Jaxson Hayes (knee), and Vanderbilt will move into the first unit as his replacement. That said, the Lakers will probably rotate on who plays down low based on matchups. Vanderbilt is averaging 4.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this season, and this will be his first start of the campaign.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Strong showing in win
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Vanderbilt closed Tuesday's 136-115 win over the Pelicans with 12 points (4-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 20 minutes.
Vanderbilt set a new season-high scoring mark and, along with Jaxson Hayes, is starting to trend in the right direction for the Lakers. He's eclipsed 20 minutes in two straight games, averaging 10.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.5 steals.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Chips in five points Thursday
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Vanderbilt produced five points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), two rebounds and one assist across 13 minutes during Thursday's 111-102 victory over the Timberwolves.
During his limited run Thursday, Vanderbilt was efficient and sank a three-pointer for a second consecutive contest. The 25-year-old has received fairly consistent playing time since returning from a lengthy absence due to a right foot injury, and over his last 10 outings, he has averaged 3.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per contest.
