Jarred Vanderbilt cleared to return on Saturday after being sidelined for almost a year

Shams Charania: Los Angeles Lakers F Jarred Vanderbilt has been medically cleared to make his season debut on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors on ABC, barring any unforeseen setbacks, sources tell ESPN.

Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania

More on this storyline

As The Athletic reported after the Finney-Smith trade, the Lakers remain active on the trade market in pursuit of upgrades, according to team and league sources. They continue to evaluate their roster and are cautiously optimistic that Jarred Vanderbilt’s looming return will give them clarity as to which positions and skills they need most. With just over two weeks remaining until the deadline, though, it’s time to assess whether this group is running out of time. The sense around the league, when talking to rival scouts and front-office personnel, is that standing pat or making a half-measure trade (likely one or two second-round picks) is more likely than the Lakers going all-in and trading both of their future first-round picks that can be moved. That’s dependent, of course, on the available players, asking prices and the team’s performance through the deadline. -via New York Times / January 21, 2025

Mike Trudell: On Jarred Vanderbilt, Redick said there are still a few progressions for him to ultimately return to an NBA game. They still want him to get some live action in practice. "It's close, but it's not going to be this week." -via Twitter @LakersReporter / January 13, 2025

Dave McMenamin: Jarred Vanderbilt has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers, the team announced. South Bay practices this morning before the Lakers do, so it gives Vanderbilt a chance to get in extra court time as he continues his progression towards a return. -via Twitter @mcten / January 10, 2025

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jarred Vanderbilt cleared to return on Saturday after being sidelined for almost a year