Lakers Confront $3 Million Dilemma as Jarred Vanderbilt Back-Up Plan Suffer Major Blow

Currently, the Lakers franchise has a lot of what-ifs to deal with. First and foremost, LeBron James has opted in $52.6 million, but his future is up in the air. There is no official announcement/acknowledgment from the team or Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka—a strange way to celebrate the 4x NBA champion’s news. Similarly, Luka Doncic is on the brink of a massive extension, but will he sign? Amid this, the reports of the team trading Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, and Dalton Knecht haven’t died down.

After signing Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Adou Thiero, the Lakers now have 15 players on standard contracts. Plus, the need to sign another Center still exists. Apart from this, there were rumors linking Bradley Beal to the team, but he will soon sign with the rival Clippers after a buyout from the Suns, as per Shams Charania. Amongst the whole roster, there is also Shake Milton, whose $3 million salary is fully non-guaranteed until July 20. Meaning, they have to make that decision quickly.

Unless they waive Milton, they now have $195.0 million in salary on their books, which leaves them only $908,000 below the first apron. But another player that could be out is Jarred Vanderbilt, as Lakers reporter Raj Chipalu discussed the player who might replace him. Answer: Darius Bazley.”He reminds me a lot of what the Lakers hoped Vando would kind of bring, right? Bazley a lot longer, a lot more athletic tools, much bigger wingspan, 7 foot wingspan. His handle is on another universe in Vando’s.”

On Johan Buha’s YouTube Channel, the latest video was about the Summer League players leaving a mark. Apart from Bronny James, Bazley seems to be a popular pick. His performance so far has been averaging 7.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. Chipalu further opined, “His athleticism again it was just it’s just too much for this level, and that’s something that I think you have to kind of analyze playing against bigger stronger athletes at the NBA level. But a guy I would 100% take a chance on.” Plus, another factor in his favor is his agency, Klutch Sports, which also manages LeBron James.

But, despite the performance in the summer league, there is another thing that is not in favor of the forward. suffered a serious leg injury Thursday night during the second quarter of an NBA Summer League game against the Boston Celtics. In fact, the injury was way more serious. The 25-year-old was on the ground for a few minutes while he was being evaluated. He was eventually put in a wheelchair and taken to the locker room.

More about Lakers’ potential option and Jarred Vanderbilt’s replacement

Bazley entered the Summer League with five NBA seasons under his belt for four different teams. He last played in the NBA during the 2023-24 season. Let’s also remind you that he was the number 1 player in Ohio during his High School days. Looking back at his decision to enter the league, he did not play college basketball, despite being a five-star recruit. Instead, he chose to play in the NBA’s G League Ignite program. But soon he would drop those plans and train on his own to prepare himself for the 2019 draft.

The Utah Jazz were the ones to draft him with the 23rd overall pick, but he was soon traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and then to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Too much drama already. His second season in the league was his best, where he played and started in 55 games, averaging 31.2 minutes and scoring 13.7 points on average. His next season was cut short on March 28, with a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee. That effectively ruled him out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.

After that, there were short spells with the Suns, 76ers, and the Jazz, but he couldn’t nail down a roster spot. That’s why even the 25-year-olds’ average stands at 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in the NBA. This summer league was the perfect way for him to get himself a contract. But now his future hangs in the balance just like any other player on the Lakers roster.