A second blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in less than a week has JJ Redick strongly hinting at a shakeup in the rotation. And it wasn’t just through his post-game remarks. The signs were evident in the game. A very tense sideline confrontation between Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt, followed by a tactical decision in the second half, has analysts and many speculating that Redick is setting up the 27-year-old’s exit from LA.
With key playmakers, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James unavailable for last night’s game, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered an 87-123 demolition. Signs of dysfunction were visible well before the final buzzer. Only 16 seconds into the second quarter, Redick called a timeout specifically to yank Vanderbilt from the floor. The move triggered a heated verbal exchange, with assistant coaches and even an injured Reaves forced to step between the coach and player.
Vando and Redick don’t have the typical highs and lows of a player-coach relationship that JJ and Reaves do. There’s been an underlying tension about the forward’s role ever since Redick took Darvin Ham’s spot. This sideline confrontation underscores a breaking point for the player, at least. Many believe the timing of the timeout was intended to target Vando specifically. He ran a play correctly for Bronny James, but after missing three free throws, he was subbed out. The player would leave the arena, refusing to speak with reporters. A move that appears impulsive could be very deliberate in this case.
Another snippet of the interaction between Jarred Vanderbilt and JJ Redick during the Lakers’ timeout early in the 2Q. https://t.co/BOcdzjXrpI pic.twitter.com/hISVkYYevW
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 8, 2026
In contrast, Redick later downplayed that confrontation. However, he was also not subtle about subbing Jarred Vanderbilt out for “a confluence of things.” The coach reiterated the same four words less than a minute later in the post-game presser when probed further. The combination of Vando’s emotional display and Redick’s comments has raised question marks. Not that the Lakers faithful felt the 27-year-old lacked the mindset needed tonight, but did Redick give him the opportunity to show it?
Why Jarred Vanderbilt’s role under JJ Redick is diminishing, assessing the reality in LA
After securing the third seed, the Lakers have lost three straight games and are now on the verge of falling to fifth place, which would cost them home-court advantage. The absence of Doncic, who is in Spain seeking treatment for a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and other key stars has exposed a lack of consistent effort from the supporting cast. The result is Redick’s public outrage (understatement) at Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and DeAndre Ayton.
That led Redick to call out each player’s failure in this game. But he ended that presser by framing the current crisis as a blank slate to identify which players possess the mental fortitude required for a deep playoff run.
The coach and the forward’s history reinforce that. Vanderbilt’s usage on the Lakers has drastically reduced under Redick. He averaged 21.9 minutes per game under Darvin Ham despite injury-related absences. This has reduced to 16.1 and 17.2 minutes over the last two seasons. Vando has also been a regular feature in every trade rumor coming out of LA.
Earlier this year, in January, the Purple and Gold were looking at clubbing the 27-year-old and Gabe Vincent, along with a future draft pick, to get some support on the wing. A few months prior to that, Vando’s game time also dipped when LeBron James returned from a bout of sciatica. So, there’ve been these signs for months.
Lakers reporters like Ryan Lucas also suggest that the rift between the coach and the player may be irreparable. “Vando probably played his last game as a Laker,” Lucas tweeted. “I’d be surprised with JJs ego if he gets another minute of action. They’ve already tried moving him the last two seasons and will do so again, regardless of this incident, but that’s probably a wrap on his lakers tenure…”
