At the trade deadline, the Lakers made such a flurry of moves that a player like Jarred Vanderbilt, in the moment, went under the radar. It’s a good summary of Vando’s time in the NBA as a man who has been a bargain of a player as his production has always outsized his contract.
But after joining the Lakers and playing a big role in their push to and through the playoffs, Vando is no longer an underrated commodity. Conveniently enough for him, he will become extension-eligible this summer and can finally be paid his worth.