Jarred Vanderbilt has been through his share of injury battles with the Los Angeles Lakers, from heel bursitis to foot issues that have cost him significant time over the past two seasons. Now, a new and very different injury has him in question for the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
With 5:51 left in the second quarter of Game 1, Vanderbilt attempted to block an alley-oop dunk by Chet Holmgren but suffered an injury to his right hand when his pinky made contact with the backboard. He was immediately helped off the floor in considerable pain and did not return. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed Vanderbilt suffered a full dislocation of his right pinky finger.
Vanderbilt is just the latest injury the Lakers are dealing with this postseason, as star Luka Doncic remains out with a hamstring injury and the team only recently got Austin Reaves back from an oblique issue.
Jarred Vanderbilt Listed Day-to-Day vs. Thunder
After the game, coach JJ Redick said he went to check on Vanderbilt because “it looked bad,” and that his forward was “in as good spirits as you can be in this situation.” Redick called it a “freak injury.” On Wednesday, Redick updated Vanderbilt’s status to day-to-day as the team assesses his availability going forward.
Redick: Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) considered day-to-day.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 6, 2026
Vanderbilt averaged 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.8 steals per game during the regular season and is one of the Lakers’ best perimeter defenders. Losing him tightens an already thin bench rotation against a Thunder squad built for exactly this kind of attrition. He is a lefty, and the injury occurred on his right non-shooting hand, which is some slight good news for Los Angeles.
