Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Opens Up About In-Season Move To LA

Last season saw your Los Angeles Lakers completely turn their season around at the trade deadline after a string of moves were made to upgrade the team. General manager Rob Pelinka acquired multiple pieces that fit better next to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the rest was history.

The Lakers went on a run to the Western Conference Finals, and unfortunately they were swept by the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets. But LA saw what they could do in such a short time to have everyone gel together, so the team decided to prioritize continuity this offseason, rather than go star-chasing again.

They did that, while also upgrading the roster around the edges, and now the Lakers will enter the season with one of the better rosters in the league. But recently, one of the players that LA acquired at the trade deadline spoke out about the in-season move.

"[Anthony Davis & LeBron] are such high IQ, high level players that it made our jobs easier... Its huge, especially coming in mid-season for the top players to accept you... They made our transition so much smooth.”

—Jarred Vanderbilt

(via "Run Your Race", @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/Q0Kj3EAxdE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt opened up about everything, and he credited James and Davis for helping to ease the new comers. Vanderbilt played a big role in the success of the team last year, taking on some of the toughest defensive challenges.

The young forward showed that he wasn't afraid of the matchups, and it helped him earn a brand new contract extension this offseason. Vanderbilt quickly became a fan favorite with the Lakers, due to his hustle and energy that the team had been lacking.

Now, going into this year, the expectation is that he will get better on the offensive end. He got played off the court in the series against the Nuggets, but he has worked over the offseason to try and make sure that it doesn't happen again.

It should be a very fun season for everyone involved with the Lakers again this season. They will be relying on Vanderbilt heavily again, and he seems ready for the challenges that are ahead of him this coming season.

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