For the first time in several years, Jarred Vanderbilt is going to be healthy heading into an offseason with the Lakers.
Jarred Vanderbilt’s time with the Lakers has been plagued by injuries, including this season.
At first, he was out due to rehab from foot surgeries, and while healing from that, he suffered a knee effusion, further setting him back. He finally returned in late January and remained relatively healthy. He played in 36 Lakers regular season games and was a fixture in the rotation during the postseason.
Now, he’s entering an offseason healthy for the first time in a while and is ready to attack it accordingly.
“For myself personally, I’m excited,” Vanderbilt said in his exit interview. “I haven’t had a healthy offseason in like two years. This last summer, coming off multiple surgeries and not being able to workout all summer, I’m just excited to be able to have a healthy summer, man, so I can really put the time in and be able to work on my game and, also, have a healthy summer.”
With Vando actually able to work on his game instead of focusing on his health, this is a summer in which he can grow as a player. Ideally, Vanderbilt can optimize his game by having an offseason to sharpen his skillset and strengthen his role.
On paper, Vanderbilt’s production doesn’t jump off the page. He averaged 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this season. However, his ability to be a lockdown defender makes him a core piece of this Lakers roster.
Versatile defensive wings are highly coveted in the NBA, and while Vando struggles offensively, his ability to defend virtually every position is invaluable.
Now, he’ll have a chance to truly maximize his talent and train how he desires without first having to heal from an injury. That’s great news for him and it sets things up so that he can enter training camp ready to go and able to practice from the start.
If Vando plays his cards right, the 2025-26 season can be the best of his career and he can further strengthen his role and impact on the Lakers.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.