Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin raised hopes that Jarred Vanderbilt, who turned 25 on Wednesday, April 3, could return this season.

Ham told reporters before the Lakers faced the Washington Wizards that Vanderbilt will have his right midfoot sprain re-evaluated early next week back in Los Angeles, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Vanderbilt suffered the injury during the Lakers’ inspiring 114-105 win over the Celtics in Boston without LeBron James and Anthony Davis on February 1.

Vanderbilt has missed 27 straight games since then including the game against the Wizards. The Lakers are 18-8 since Vanderbilt went out entering Wednesday’s match at the nation’s capital, the finale of a six-game road trip.

On March 26, Ham told reporters that Vanderbilt has been ramping up his conditioning but he hasn’t returned to contact activities or practice yet.

Then after the Lakers’ 116-104 win in Brooklyn, where Gabe Vincent returned from knee surgery, on March 31, Ham revealed Vanderbilt is undergoing what Vincent did.

“Just not to skip any steps,” Ham told reporters. “To keep taking things day by day and don’t listen to whoever is out there putting target dates on his return. Maximize each day, try to get better each day and just stick to the plan. Gabe had to do the same. JV has to do the same thing as well. Just stick to the plan.”

The re-evaluation could be a step in the right direction.

Vanderbilt looked healthy during his pregame workout in Washington.

Jarred Vanderbilt pregame work in WAS pic.twitter.com/ul9C5q7vQF

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2024

Rui Hachimura Stepped up in Jarred Vanderbilt’s Absence

Vanderbilt’s injury paved the way for Rui Hachimura to enter the Lakers’ starting lineup.

The Japanese forward seized the opportunity.

Since replacing Vanderbilt in the Lakers’ starting unit on February 2, Hachimura is averaging 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 58.7% from the field and 44.9% from 3-point range.

The Lakers’ most used starting lineup with Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, James and Anthony Davis are plus-5.7 in 683 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass.

But that lineup with Vanderbilt in Hachimura’s place is a staggering plus-39.6 albeit in a small sample size (68 possessions), per Cleaning The Glass.

While Hachimura makes the Lakers offense dynamic, Vanderbilt is their most versatile defender. The 25-year-old Vanderbilt played a key role in the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals last season after his arrival as part of the Russell Westbrook 3-team trade.

Vanderbilt averaged 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 29 games this season.

The 9th-place Lakers (43-33) are 2.5 games outside the top six in the Western Conference with only five games left after this road trip.

LeBron James to Play 1 or 2 More Years

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, James is headed to retirement soon.

“Most people I talk to around LeBron James, about LeBron James, [say] one to two more years is definitely the expectation,” Charania said on the April 2 episode of the “Pat McAfee Show.”

Charania’s report came on the heels of James once again hinting about retirement after he matched his career-high 9 3-pointers in his 40-point showing in that March 31 win against the Nets.

“Not very long,” the 39-year-old James said when asked how much longer he plans to play during his March 31 postgame media availability. “Not very long. I’m on the other side, obviously, of the hill. I’m not gonna play another 21 years, that’s for damn sure. But not very long. I don’t know when that door will close as far as when I’ll retire. But I don’t have much time left.”