Report: Lakers Extend Jazz Trade Deadline Departure With 4-Year Deal

After February’s NBA trade deadline that consisted of a fire sale for the Utah Jazz, the moving pieces that came with it are starting to get paid. Per a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Los Angeles Lakers F Jarred Vanderbilt has signed an extension with the team worth $48M/4Y.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed on a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the franchise, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz told @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal is fully guaranteed with a player option in the fourth year. pic.twitter.com/4kuLlt8zeT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2023

It is a deal that locks Vanderbilt in LA until at least the 2026-27 season, with the 2027-28 season set as a player option. The contract averages to about $12 million annually, giving him around an $8 million pay raise. He was a key piece in the second-half-season revival for LA due to his outstanding versatility and defensive ability.

Vanderbilt spent 52 total games (starting 41) with the Jazz last season, coming over to Salt Lake City as a piece of the notorious Rudy Gobert deal. During his time in a Jazz uniform, he posted averages of 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

He ended up fitting and playing extremely well in a frontcourt stacked with F Lauri Markkanen and C Walker Kessler/Kelly Olynyk for the first half of the season, being one of many key pieces in what allowed this team to blow away any initial expectations before the season.

However, the difficult decision was made to send him off to the purple and gold to net this franchise another future first-round pick to add to their arsenal. It effectively gives Utah four first-rounders to work with come 2027, eyeing a massively impactful draft soon to come.

Looking forward to a massive season next year for Los Angeles, Vanderbilt will continue to be a considerable factor in the Lakers' success on the route to getting F LeBron James his fifth-ever championship title.

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