Hours After Jarred Vanderbilt’s $48 Million Extension, Veteran Analyst Crowns LeBron James & Co 2024 NBA Champions

The Los Angeles Lakers made another big move this off-season by re-signing 6’9” Forward Jarred Vanderbilt on a massive 4-year $48 million contract. Vanderbilt became LeBron James’ teammate in the middle of last season after Rob Pelinka decided to split the Big 3 of King James, AD, and Russ. The 24-year-old proved to be a great addition to the Lakers squad, helping Bron and Co reach the Western Conference Finals.

Following the contract extension of Jarred Vanderbilt, veteran ESPN analyst picked King James and the Lakers to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of this season.

Is cup coming to LA?

Veteran Analyst and sportswriter Zach Lowe has high expectations from the Los Angeles Lakers after their off-season moves. “If they are healthy… I think this team can absolutely win the title,” Lowe said on NBA Today.

The Lakers re-signed Jarred Vanderbilt for 4 more years after his impressive performance last season. He showed great promise on both ends of the floor, averaging 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds. His impact on the team goes beyond his stats, as Vanderbilt has the ability to become a lockdown defender in crucial matches.

Apart from re-signing Vanderbilt, Rob Pelinka made many significant moves this summer. He extended the contracts of young stars Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell, keeping the young Lakers core intact for the long term. All of these young players shone playing alongside LeBron James last season and were key participants in the Lakers mid-season turnaround.

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The Lakers also added some new players to their already-stacked roster. They signed talented role players, including Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, and Jaxson Hayes. With this new and improved roster, the LA camp has become one of the top title contenders heading into next season.

LeBron James and Co. still face a big problem

Now that the Lakers 2023-24 roster is almost complete, there is one major issue that could ruin their Championship dreams. It is the health of their superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

After winning his first NBA title in 2020, The Brow’s Lakers run has been plagued by injuries. He was unavailable for more than half the games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Even the Lakers’ superstar, King James will enter his 21st NBA season and could get injured carrying the load of the entire team in the absence of AD.

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With some genius off-season moves by Rob Pelinka, the Lakers fans are hoping for their two superstars to stay healthy for the entire season. If LeBron and AD are available on the court, there are not many teams in the NBA that can beat the stacked Los Angeles Lakers team.