The Los Angeles Lakers continue searching for a path to acquire Jonathan Kuminga.
That pursuit, however, does not appear to have changed the organization’s view of Jarred Vanderbilt.
NBA insider Jake Fischer said during Sunday’s Bleacher Report livestream from NBA Summer League in Las Vegas that he has not gotten the impression that the Lakers are actively shopping Vanderbilt around the league, even as the veteran forward remains a logical salary-matching piece in potential sign-and-trade discussions involving Kuminga.
“I also don’t think the Lakers are just like trying to shop Jarred Vanderbilt around the league,” Fischer said. “I haven’t gotten that sense either.”
Fischer’s comments provide additional context to one of the Lakers’ biggest offseason storylines.
Los Angeles may ultimately need Vanderbilt’s contract to complete a deal for Kuminga. That is different from making him available simply to clear salary or create cap flexibility.
Atlanta’s Position Has Complicated Negotiations
GettyJonathan Kuminga reacts during an Atlanta Hawks game. NBA insider Jake Fischer said the Lakers remain interested in Kuminga but suggested negotiations have lost momentum, with a sign-and-trade now appearing to be the most realistic path.
The Lakers’ interest in Kuminga has been well documented throughout free agency, but constructing a workable trade has proven far more difficult.
Khobi Price of the California Post reported on July 8 that the Hawks were willing to discuss a sign-and-trade framework that would send Kuminga to Los Angeles in exchange for Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap.
That swap represents the Lakers’ only tradable first-round asset this offseason. Los Angeles also controls three second-round picks that could be included in a deal.
Two days later, Fischer reported in The Stein Line that Atlanta had not considered taking back Vanderbilt.
“It’s believed that the Lakers hope to package their lone tradeable first-round pick swap left over in 2032 along with Jarred Vanderbilt in a sign-and-trade proposal for Kuminga,” Fischer wrote. “Sources say Atlanta, however, has not considered taking back Vanderbilt in a deal that sends out Kuminga.”
Atlanta’s position leaves the Lakers with another hurdle.
Because Los Angeles remains above the salary cap, a sign-and-trade is its clearest avenue to offering Kuminga a contract above what it could sign him for outright. But if the Hawks are unwilling to absorb Vanderbilt’s salary, the framework becomes significantly more complicated.
A Third Team May Still Be Required
Financial flexibility appears to be driving Atlanta’s reluctance.
Vanderbilt is entering the third season of the four-year, $48 million extension he signed with the Lakers in 2023. He is owed $12.4 million in 2026-27 and holds a $13.3 million player option for the following season.
According to salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron, the Hawks sit roughly $11.4 million below the NBA’s first apron. Taking back Vanderbilt’s contract without sending a comparable salary elsewhere would consume most of that cushion and reduce Atlanta’s roster flexibility.
Fischer previously reported that the Lakers have explored multi-team deals that would reroute Vanderbilt to another franchise rather than Atlanta.
That possibility remains very much alive.
The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported in June that rival teams have shown limited enthusiasm for several Lakers veterans, including Vanderbilt, whose contract has become more valuable as a matching salary than as a standalone trade asset.
Lakers Continue to View Vanderbilt as Part of the Rotation
Nothing from Las Vegas suggested the Lakers have distanced themselves from Vanderbilt despite the continued trade speculation.
The veteran forward was in attendance throughout NBA Summer League alongside Dalton Knecht and several of Los Angeles’ newcomers, supporting the team’s young roster from the sidelines. While his presence does not eliminate the possibility of a future trade, it reinforces that Vanderbilt remains an active part of the organization.
His value to the Lakers also extends beyond the salary cap.
When healthy, Vanderbilt remains one of the team’s most versatile defenders, capable of guarding multiple positions while providing rebounding, energy and lineup flexibility. He appeared in 65 games last season, averaging 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field.
Vanderbilt’s presence in Las Vegas alongside Knecht and several of the Lakers’ newcomers offered another reminder that he remains part of the organization despite persistent trade speculation.
Vanderbilt is Not Being Shopped But Not Untouchable
If the right opportunity emerges—particularly one involving Kuminga—the Lakers could still include Vanderbilt as a matching salary. Fischer’s latest comments, however, indicate Los Angeles is not actively shopping the veteran forward around the league.
That approach also aligns with what Woike reported in June, when he wrote that there was little appetite around the NBA for several Lakers veterans. Vanderbilt’s combination of injury history, limited offensive game and $12.4 million salary for next season has made his contract a difficult one to move without attaching additional assets.
Rather than trying to unload Vanderbilt at all costs, the Lakers appear content to keep him unless his contract becomes necessary to complete a larger transaction. For now, the challenge facing president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is less about finding a team willing to take Vanderbilt than finding one willing to view his contract as part of a deal that ultimately brings Kuminga to Los Angeles.
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