Jared Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers
Sticking with the Los Angeles Lakers, D'Angelo Russell will not be the only player mentioned in trade rumors over the next few months. There were rumblings about Jarred Vanderbilt also being among those being dangled in trade discussions recently. Of course, nothing ultimately happened, but that could change over the next handful of months if the Los Angeles Lakers are active on the market.
The appeal with Vanderbilt is clear. He's a 6-foot-8, 25-year-old power forward who has made a living with his versatile defense, being able to match up with just about anyone on the court. A contending team that needs another defender, such as the Milwaukee Bucks or Phoenix Suns, would benefit greatly from adding a player like this to complement their star players.
Despite his great defense, Vanderbilt is not without his flaws. He's never been much of a threat on the offensive end, averaging 6.1 points while shooting 29 percent from deep for his career. Furthermore, he's been banged up throughout his career, which included him being limited to 29 games this past season. There would be risk in trading for him, but there's also a possible great reward defensively.
Set to make $10.7 million this coming season, Vanderbilt is on an affordable contract for contenders possibly looking to trade for him. The likeliest scenario would be Vanderbilt being dealt in a deal for a big fish, such as Portland's Jerami Grant, and then possibly being rerouted elsewhere. Time will tell, but Vanderbilt will almost certainly be in the mix somewhere as the deadline grows closer.