Houston-born Jarred Vanderbilt’s defensive prowess and athleticism are likely the first things you’ll notice when you watch him play. He credits much of his eye-catching athleticism to his background as a track and field athlete in school. With such impressive attributes, Vanderbilt was a 5-star recruit from Victory Prep Academy in Texas before joining the Kentucky Wildcats. After forgoing his college eligibility, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he was selected as the 41st overall pick in the second round by the Orlando Magic.

Jarred Vanderbilt found himself in a bit of a hot potato situation early in his career, playing for five different teams in five years. He had stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, and the Orlando Magic before finally finding some stability with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. After years of bouncing around, Vanderbilt signed a contract to remain with the Lakers, securing his place in the team for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a closer look at the deal he signed and what it means for his career moving forward.

What is Jarred Vanderbilt’s current contract with the Lakers?

Jarred Vanderbilt originally signed a 3-year, $13.1 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021. While still under that deal, he was traded to the Utah Jazz, and later to the Los Angeles Lakers. For the 2023-24 NBA season, Vanderbilt received a guaranteed salary of $4.64 million from the Lakers. With his contract nearing its end, he re-signed with the Lakers in September 2023.

Vanderbilt signed a 4-year contract extension with the Lakers that was worth $48 million. This contract has a guaranteed sum of $48 million and carries a dead cap value of $10,714,286 and a cap hit of the same value. His average annual payout per this contract stands at $12 million. There is a player option clause in the final year of the contract. And he will become an unrestricted free agent in the 2028/29 NBA season.

Although it appears as though this was a bargain for LA. Reports indicate that he was eligible for a 4-year extension worth up to $75 million. Even so, this is Jarred Vanderbilt’s highest-paying contract yet. But how much has the Lakers’ forward made in his NBA career so far?

How much has he earned from his NBA career?

Vanderbilt was traded to the Denver Nuggets by the Orlando Magic in the same year he was drafted, signing a 3-year, $3.9 million contract with Denver. However, he only received $1.6 million from the Nuggets before being traded to the Timberwolves, who guaranteed his salary for the 2020-21 NBA season.

In 2021, Vanderbilt signed a contract extension with Minnesota, and by the time he was traded to Utah, he had earned $6,282,203 from the Timberwolves. During his one year with the Jazz, he earned $2,855,172 before moving on to the Lakers.

The Lakers have been by far the largest benefactors of Vanderbilt’s career, accounting for more than half of his total earnings. To date, Vanderbilt has earned $17,373,114 from his time in Los Angeles. However, this number will nearly quadruple if he chooses to activate the player option clause in the final year of his current contract. If he does, he will have earned $65,483,177.

It’s incredible to see how far someone can come in just five years in the NBA. Who knows? With continued development, Vanderbilt could be in line for even bigger numbers as his career progresses.