What happened to Jarred Vanderbilt? Lakers' injury woes continue as star forward suffers fresh setback

LA Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered an injury setback during the preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The defensive stalwart was in the Lakers' starting lineup but didn't emerge from the locker room to begin the second half.

The Lakers later announced that Vanderbilt suffered a left quad contusion and won't feature in the second half. The injury occurred when the 6-foot-8 wing collided with Derick Lively II in the second quarter.

Jovan Buha

@jovanbuha

Jarred Vanderbilt (left quad contusion) won't return to tonight's game, per the Lakers.

Vanderbilt was amazing in the 13 minutes he played in the first half. The versatile forward proved why he is often deemed a "swiss knife" by his teammates and peers. The Lakers dropped a stat line of five points, seven rebounds, four assists and one block while shooting 2 of 4 from the floor, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc.

Jarred Vanderbilt's career has been riddled with injuries. The former Minnesota Timberwolves star has consistently endured pain in his knee and heel, undergoing multiple foot surgeries. He missed more than half the number of games last season after experiencing a setback during rehabilitation from twin surgeries in 2024.

Lakers fans react to Jarred Vanderbilt's injury

Lakers fans flooded the internet with candid reactions soon after the team announced an update on Jarred Vanderbilt's health. The Laker faithful lamented the star forward's bad luck with injuries and prayed for his fast recovery and return to the court.

A fan said:

SarcasticLD77inPurple&Gold🇵🇭🇨🇦

@sarcasticmamba

Is this a Vando's Lakers era script? My goodness, every single year...it better not be an ongoing issue for 82 games! 🤦🏽‍♂️🤯🤷🏽‍♂️🤣🤣

Another wrote:

Revived

@RevivedGamerHD

welp that lasted a few pre season games

A fan commented:

abdmkabli(2)

@abdmkabli80

Hopefully it’s not serious

A user wrote:

Jesse Nguyen

@JesseNg41114239

Mannn better not be serious

In their final preseason game, the Purple and Gold will match up against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. All eyes will be on Vanderbilt and how his injury shakes out in the next 24 hours. The Lakers management, however, would be tempted to rest Vanderbilt from the upcoming game to give the forward a few more days rest before the opening night's game.