The Los Angeles Lakers received encouraging news about promising rookie Adou Thiero, who is taking a major step toward making his long-awaited NBA debut.
Thiero Cleared for On-Court Contact
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work as part of his continued recovery from knee surgery. The 21-year-old forward has been sidelined since training camp due to complications from the injury he suffered last season at Arkansas.
“Lakers rookie Adou Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work, per the Lakers,” McMenamin reported on X ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. “He has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers to continue his progression toward 5-on-5 play by joining South Bay’s training camp.”
The Lakers are hoping Thiero’s assignment to their G League affiliate will accelerate his return to game readiness and allow him to ease into full-speed practices without pressure.
From College Standout to Lakers Investment
Thiero has not yet appeared in a preseason or regular-season game for Los Angeles, having missed the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas due to the same injury. Despite the setbacks, the Lakers front office remains confident in his potential — enough to make bold moves on draft night to secure him.
General manager Rob Pelinka executed a pair of trades to move up nearly 20 spots in the 2025 NBA Draft, jumping from No. 55 to No. 36 overall to land Thiero.
“We were super aggressive to begin the day knowing that we didn’t have a first-round pick,” Pelinka told Spectrum SportsNet after the 2025 NBA Draft. “Adou was projected by our scouts as a first-round talent, and we were able to turn 55, which is a late second-round pick, into a high second-round pick to select a player we had projected in the first round. So it’s almost like having the first-round pick that we traded out.”
Drawing Comparisons to OG Anunoby
Getty New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby is the player comp for Lakers rookie Adou Thiero.
Pelinka drew attention after the draft when he compared Thiero’s physical profile and defensive potential to New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby, one of the league’s premier 3-and-D players.
“Obviously, OG is an incredible player that’s done so much in the league,” Pelinka said. “I don’t want to put pressure on anyone to become someone else, but that archetype is definitely it. He’s got the 6’7” frame, he’s incredibly explosive, a developing shooter, and a lob catcher. On the other side of the ball, he’s going to be an elite defender. He has all the tools there.”
Thiero’s college coach, John Calipari, echoed that sentiment, calling him “the steal of the draft.”
“Forget what round he is drafted in,” Calipari wrote on X. “He is a player they will look at and go, ‘How did he get drafted there? That was a steal.’ He has what it takes mentally and physically to succeed in the NBA.”
What’s Next for Thiero and the Lakers
At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thiero offers the Lakers the length and athleticism they covet in a modern wing defender. He averaged 15.1 points on 54.5% shooting and 5.8 rebounds last season at Arkansas, though his 28.4% career three-point shooting remains an area of growth.
Still, the Lakers’ coaching staff views him as a potential two-way contributor who can develop into a reliable rotation piece. If his recovery continues on schedule, Thiero could make his NBA debut in November, adding much-needed depth to a roster already dealing with injuries to LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Marcus Smart.
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