Lakers Announce Jarred Vanderbilt Update After Leaving Mavs Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 6:03 AM ET

Jarred Vanderbilt exited early with a left quad contusion after a collision with Dereck Lively II.
Lakers lost 121-94 to the Mavericks; LeBron James sat out with a nerve injury.
Vanderbilt's status for the Lakers' final preseason game remains uncertain due to the injury.

Jarred Vanderbilt played just 13 minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-94 blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. It was another NBA preseason defeat for L.A., which suffered a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, 113-104.

Vanderbilt got the start against the Mavs for head coach JJ Redick, but the 6-foot-8 power forward was forced to exit the game in the first half after a collision with Dallas center Dereck Lively II. Vanderbilt took a knee to the thigh and did not emerge from the locker room with the rest of the team after the halftime break.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) carries the ball during a game.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Lakers entered the Mavs game with a 1-3 record. They lost their fourth preseason game on Wednesday, with All-Star big man Anthony Davis (18 points, nine rebounds) and highly touted rookie Cooper Flagg (13 points, three assists) leading the way for Dallas.

L.A., on the other hand, was without the services of Luka Doncic, who sat out the game against his former team after dropping 25 points against the Suns on Tuesday. LeBron James was also out of commission as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer nurses a nerve injury that is expected to keep him out until mid-November.

Vanderbilt has now been added to the Lakers’ injury report. This is after the team made an announcement regarding the 26-year-old shortly after he did not start the second half.

“Vanderbilt has a left quad contusion and will not return, per the Lakers,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on X.

Vanderbilt has a left quad contusion and will not return, per the Lakers. https://t.co/9VS9nkkPft
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 16, 2025

Vanderbilt finished the game with five points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block in 13 minutes of playing time. It is now unclear if the former Kentucky Wildcats standout will be available for L.A.’s final preseason game on Friday against the Sacramento Kings.

Vanderbilt is entering his third season with the Lakers. In 2024-25, he was limited to 36 games due to multiple injuries. The former second-round pick averaged 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 16.1 minutes per game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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