During a recent appearance on GopherHole, Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards was asked which former teammate he misses the most “on the court and off the court.” Edwards quickly pointed to Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, also adding former Timberwolves wing Josh Okogie to the list.
“Jarred — both on and off,” Edwards said in the Sept. 29, 2025 interview, noting Vanderbilt’s impact despite limited playing time when they shared the floor in Minnesota.
A trade-filled path to Los Angeles
Vanderbilt, 26, has changed teams three times since the 2022 offseason. Minnesota included him in the July 2022 package that sent Rudy Gobert to the Utah Jazz. Seven months later, at the 2022-23 trade deadline, Utah flipped Vanderbilt to the Lakers in a three-team deal that offloaded Russell Westbrook and brought D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley to Los Angeles. Vanderbilt is now the lone player from that trade still on the Lakers roster.
Playoff reunion and defensive role
Los Angeles and Minnesota met in the opening round of last spring’s playoffs, where the Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers. Vanderbilt spent much of the series guarding Edwards, reviving the competitive back-and-forth the two developed in practice with the Timberwolves.
Fully recovered from recent injuries, Vanderbilt is expected to reprise his defensive assignments against high-scoring wings such as Edwards during the 2025-26 campaign.
Lakers’ roster outlook
With Luka Dončić now headlining the franchise and LeBron James still in the fold, Lakers executive Rob Pelinka emphasized “optionality” while building a team that could see more than half its players reach free agency next summer. Vanderbilt’s versatility on defense figures to be a key component as Los Angeles aims to contend in a crowded Western Conference.
Source: LakersNation.com
