The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to exercise their $4.7 million team option on Jarred Vanderbilt for the upcoming 2023-24 season, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
This move isn’t surprising given the fact that there were already assumptions in the middle of the 2022-23 season that the Lakers will certainly pick up their team option on Vanderbilt, who emerged as their primary defensive ace on the wing.
Vanderbilt, 24, was acquired by Los Angeles in a midseason three-team trade that involved the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves. He also served as a significant piece on the club’s dramatic season turnaround that propelled them to mark an unthinkable Conference Finals finish.
After being dealt by the Jazz, Vanderbilt averaged 7.2 points, 6.7 boards, and 1.2 steals for the Lakers for 26 games.
He will now be eligible for an extension with the Lakers. Added by McMenamin, L.A. can offer the forward by as much as $71 million for four years starting Sept. 7.
