Jarred Vanderbilt’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers has been largely defined by injuries. The defensive-minded forward is looking to make that sentiment a thing of the past.

In the same report where Marc Stein created excitement for Lakers fans around the diligent work of Marcus Smart to get to his best playing shape since his days with the Boston Celtics, the NBA insider noted the new signing is not the only one working hard on their body. Vanderbilt is too.

Stein wrote, “I’m also hearing Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point last season, which will naturally spark hope that the versatile forward seems like an offseason addition himself when training camp opens in late September.”

For a Lakers team that was crying out for depth amid their premature exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs, this development is sure to create excitement. Having the best version of Vanderbilt would go a long way to filling a much-needed role on the roster for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Vanderbilt’s defensive presence would be a massive gift for Lakers

Vanderbilt joined the Lakers during the 2022-23 season as a part of the trade that freed the team from the disappointing Russell Westbrook experiment. The 26-year-old actually remains as the sole survivor of that deal who still resides in Los Angeles.

D’Angelo Russell was sent packing in the trade that brought Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers. Malik Beasley was never re-signed after his initial stint with the team, joining the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023 free agency period.

Vanderbilt’s early sample size with the Lakers was impressive enough to earn him a contract extension with the Lakers pretty quickly. His emergence as a defensive stopper in their rotation secured a four-year, $48 million deal to stay with Los Angeles for the long haul.

Since then, that contract has been the subject of countless numbers of mock trades done by Lakers fans. Vanderbilt’s inability to stay on the court quickly soured the reason for optimism that was offered during the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023.

His averages of 4.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game from the 2023 NBA Playoffs do not pop off the page. However, his ability take on tough defensive assignments did.

The Lakers could really use that version of Vanderbilt in 2025-26. Even after adding Smart, who should boost the team defense, JJ Redick’s unit still needs more on that end.

There are certain matchups which a healthy Vanderbilt would be much better suited due to his size and length. A healthy version of the versatile forward would allow some range in those defensive assignments too.

Vanderbilt will never be the player who makes a sizeable contribution on the offensive end. However, at his best, the defense can be something that Los Angeles would greatly desire in the upcoming campaign.