Lakers Insider: Teams Will 'Demand' 1st-Round Draft Pick in Jarred Vanderbilt Trade

Jarred Vanderbilt's contract is something of an albatross for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it will reportedly cost them a first-round pick if they are able to trade it away in any deal.

"I know Laker fans are excited about Vando and the two games," Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported Monday (1:05:45 mark). "This has not shifted the way he's viewed across the league. The league views it as he's not worth his contract, he has three more years, they're going to demand a first-round pick to take on Vando."

He explained that Los Angeles will have to give up a first-round pick to part with Vanderbilt on top of whatever compensation it needs to offer to land a player such as Myles Turner or Lonzo Ball in these hypothetical deals.

Vanderbilt is making $10.7 million in base salary this season before he is due $11.6 million in 2025-26 and $12.4 million in 2026-27. He also has a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28.

That is a lot of money for a secondary contributor who just returned to the lineup this month for the first time since February 2024 due to foot injuries. To his credit, he provided some support off the bench and averaged 3.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists in 13 minutes a night during those two games, but Buha suggested it didn't change anyone's mind about him.

The Lakers are in fifth place in the Western Conference, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis would like the front office to add ahead of the deadline to potentially make a run at a championship.

Any move for a significant contributor was already going to cost valuable future assets. But if the front office wants to get out of the Vanderbilt contract to put the team in a better position, it is going to cost even more of those assets.

And that is the balancing act it will have to evaluate ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.