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JJ Redick Provides Huge Injury Update on Key Lakers Veteran

The Lakers got good news regarding Jarred Vanderbilt.

By Richard Louis

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches game action against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches game action against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers are 20-15 on the season. They have been up and down since the start of the campaign. They ran it back with the same roster but finally made a move right before the year ended. Los Angeles traded guard D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

That move helped the Lakers tremendously in the frontcourt, which has missed forward Jarred Vanderbilt this season. Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave a big update on the injured forward.

Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Making Real Progress in Rehab

Redick revealed that Vanderbilt's knee pain has gone down and he's ramping up for a return back onto the floor. Vanderbilt hasn't played for Los Angeles since last January against the Chicago Bulls.

Vanderbilt had lingering foot problems that led to offseason surgery on both feet. While attempting to return from that, he started feeling knee soreness, after trying to participate in a non-contact portion of practice.

Even though there's no specific timeline on when Vanderbilt will return, this is a positive development. In 2023, Vanderbilt signed a four-year, $48 million extension. He's a versatile and active defender with the ability to finish around the rim.

The Lakers miss his defensive presence on the floor and are itching for him to return. It's pretty wild that Vanderbilt has only played in 30 career games for the Lakers but that's the reality of the situation. Vanderbilt is averaging 6.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 52% from the field.

His role within the team is to be a Swiss-army knife as a defender and play with maximum effort. They need more from him, especially after getting a long-term extension. The Lakers could use Vanderbilt for their second-half push, as they seek to have a deep postseason run.

Los Angeles still could use another scorer but adding Finney-Smith with the return of Vanderbilt on the horizon is a positive step.

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