Jarred Vanderbilt’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers appears increasingly uncertain as the franchise continues searching for a starting-caliber wing to complete its reshaped roster around Luka Dončić.
According to Khobi Price of the California Post, multiple sources said the Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, along with other players on the roster, to create more roster-building flexibility.
The reporting adds another layer to Los Angeles’ pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, who remains the team’s top remaining wing target.
Price reported the Atlanta Hawks are willing to discuss a sign-and-trade framework that would send Kuminga to Los Angeles while receiving Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap. That swap is the only first-round draft asset the Lakers can move this summer. They also have three second-round picks available.
The framework reflects the type of package Atlanta would consider, not necessarily a formal offer already made by Los Angeles.
Jarred Vanderbilt Becomes Lakers’ Movable Contract
Getty Jarred Vanderbilt is officially on the trade block as the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for pathways to land Jonathan Kuminga as their starting wing.
Vanderbilt is not viewed as a premium trade asset on his own.
Instead, his contract has become useful because it gives the Lakers one of their few mid-sized salaries to include in a larger deal.
The 27-year-old has two years and $25.7 million remaining on the four-year, $48 million extension he signed in September 2023. He is owed $12.4 million this season and holds a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28.
That salary could help the Lakers match money in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga or in a separate salary-clearing move designed to create room to sign the unrestricted free agent outright.
But moving Vanderbilt may require attaching draft capital.
That has been one of the complications surrounding his market. Last month, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported there was limited league-wide interest in several Lakers role players, including Vanderbilt, because of their flaws and contract situations.
Defensive Value, Limited Role
Vanderbilt remains one of the Lakers’ better defenders when healthy.
Last season, he averaged 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals in 65 games while playing 17.4 minutes per game.
His value comes from his ability to defend multiple positions, rebound and bring energy without needing offensive touches. But his limited shooting and recurring injuries have made his fit more complicated as the Lakers build around Dončić.
That became clear in the playoffs.
After suffering a finger injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City, Vanderbilt returned later in the series but played only three minutes in the Lakers’ 115-110 Game 4 loss to the Thunder.
Jonathan Kuminga Remains Lakers’ Top Target
The Lakers have continued pursuing Kuminga because he better fits the profile they have been seeking: size, athleticism, youth and defensive versatility on the wing.
Jovan Buha of Buha’s Block recently said Kuminga remains at the top of the Lakers’ board. NBA insider Jake Fischer and ESPN’s Anthony Slater have also reported Los Angeles’ continued interest.
A sign-and-trade would require Kuminga’s new contract to run at least three or four seasons, excluding option years, with the first season fully guaranteed.
The Lakers previously explored a two-year, $20 million offer, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner, but acquiring him through a sign-and-trade would require a longer commitment.
Lakers Still Searching for Flexibility
The Walker Kessler trade is now official, eliminating one previously discussed possibility of expanding that deal to include Atlanta.
That leaves a direct sign-and-trade or a separate salary-clearing move as the clearest paths for Los Angeles.
Either way, Vanderbilt’s availability shows how aggressively the Lakers are trying to solve their remaining wing problem.
He may not be the player other teams are chasing.
But he could become one of the contracts Los Angeles uses to chase the player it wants.
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