Report: Jarred Vanderbilt to undergo tests to see if season-ending procedure is needed

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is expected to miss several weeks after getting injured on Thursday against the Boston Celtics.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin reported some more details regarding Vanderbilt.

“Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is expect to minimally miss several weeks with a right foot injury – and could be out even longer pending further evaluation, sources told ESPN on Friday,” Wojnarowski and McMenamin wrote.

“Vanderbilt will undergo more extensive consultation in the coming days on his mid-foot area to determine the full extent of the injury and whether a season-ending procedure could become necessary, sources said.”

Vanderbilt left Thursday’s game right before the end of the first half after suffering a non-contact right foot injury. He recorded 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 16 minutes of play before exiting.

It’s a brutal blow for the Lakers, who are dealing with tons of injuries more than halfway into the 2023-24 season. Gabe Vincent (knee) and Cam Reddish (ankle) are both sidelined at the moment, while Anthony Davis and LeBron James also missed the win against the Celtics with their own ailments.

The Lakers reportedly hope to get at least one of Davis or James back for their game against the New York Knicks on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Vanderbilt has only appeared in 29 games so far this season, making his season debut in early December after dealing with a heel injury. He’s currently recording 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in just 20.0 minutes per game while making 51.8 percent of his shots from the field and 29.6 percent of his attempts from deep.

Many fans have been clamoring for him to replace Taurean Prince in Los Angeles’ starting lineup. Vanderbilt did indeed start against Boston with James and Davis out.

It’ll be interesting to see if Vanderbilt’s injury motivates the Lakers to make a move for a forward ahead of the league’s trade deadline, which is set for Feb. 8. The Lakers have been linked to Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale of the Brooklyn Nets, both of whom are solid 3-and-D options.

Los Angeles is now 25-25 and sits in ninth place in the Western Conference, a full four games back of the Phoenix Suns for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the conference.

After taking on the Knicks, the Lakers will wrap up their current road trip on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets. More information regarding Vanderbilt will surely arise by then.