Lakers Injury Report: Team Offers Troubling Update On Critical Role Player

Alex Kirschenbaum | Apr 5, 2024

Jan 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) drives past Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves (15) while forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) guards him. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

A key Los Angeles Lakers role player's recovery has essentially stalled out, with just a handful of games left until the postseason starts.

LA forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the club's second-most important defensive player, has yet to be given the green light to take contact in team drills, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. McMenamin reveals that Vanderbilt is still working towards jumping and taking full sprints, but for now remains stuck in individual workouts.

The 6'8" vet out of Kentucky, who inked a four-year, $48 million contract with the Lakers in the 2023 offseason, has barely played for Los Angeles this year. A foot injury has limited him to just 29 games (six starts) with the Lakers. He's averaging 5.2 points on 51.8% shooting from the field, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals a night.

Given how far behind Vanderbilt is, it's hard to imagine he'll be healthy in time to close out the regular season for Los Angeles. The team, presently the ninth seed in the Western Conference at 44-33, has just five games left on its slate. Vanderbilt and his excellent perimeter defense are missed. Though he's a limited scorer, his versatility at the other end (he can legitimately guard players from 1-4) made him a key piece of the team's postseason push last year.