Jarred Vanderbilt agrees to 3-year, $13.8 million deal to stay with Timberwolves

Finally healthy, Jarred Vanderbilt is getting paid–not for what he’s accomplished in the NBA, but for what his ceiling could be. And it’s pretty high.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Vanderbilt, who has spent three seasons in the NBA, all with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has agreed to stay with the franchise on a tidy three-year, $13.8 million deal.

The former Kentucky one-and-done had a breakout season in 2020-21 while playing free of any injuries. In 64 games for the Timberwolves, 30 of them as a starter, Vando averaged 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 17.8 minutes per outing while shooting over 60 percent from the floor.

Restricted free agent F Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed to stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a new three-year, $13.8 million deal, his agent Kevin Bradbury of @Rep1Basketball tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 10, 2021

I’ll be the first to admit that Vanderbilt earning a contract that will pay him roughly $4.6 million per season for the next three years is a tad shocking, but not by much. He’s only played in 92 career NBA games and missed the majority of his freshman season at Kentucky and first two NBA seasons due to various injuries. Vanderbilt even missed the majority of his senior season in high school due to injury.

But because of injuries to Karl-Anthony Towns last season, Vanderbilt was thrust into a larger role than expected and performed rather well. His stats don’t jump off the page, but he is one of the hardest-working players around and possesses a unique skillset that mimics that of a poor man’s version of Ben Simmons.

Vanderbilt is of very few players who can block a shot, grab the rebound, run the entire floor, and throw a no-look pass for an easy layup all in one possession. At just 22 years old, this is a bargain deal for Minnesota. If Vanderbilt can develop a steady jumpshot (effectively making himself the rich man’s Ben Simmons), the sky is the limit for his potential.

He was selected with the No. 41 overall pick back in the 2018 NBA Draft.