Adou Thiero was the first domino to fall this offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers as they moved up from No. 55 to No. 36 in the NBA Draft to select him.
Typically, L.A. likes to move up in the second round when they have their sights set on a prospect. Thiero is an extremely athletic forward with tenacious defense, which general manager Rob Pelinka has been looking to add to the roster.
Unfortunately, one reason why the 21-year-old fell in the draft is that he struggled with a knee injury at Arkansas. That ultimately led to him not playing in Summer League this year, but that did not stop Thiero from making the trip to Las Vegas to support his teammates. He was mic’d up during one of their games against the L.A. Clippers, giving fans a chance to see Thiero’s personality for the first time, via the Lakers’ official X account:
Adou mic'd up in Vegas 🎤 pic.twitter.com/eQ3SdzIHXG
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 25, 2025
While Summer League doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things, it is great to see the rookie demonstrate the qualities of being a committed teammate. Thiero was not there to simply show face; he clearly was invested in the game and supported his teammates’ success.
As a young player, there is nothing more that he wants than to play in an NBA game. However, Thiero’s time to showcase his talents will come in training camp and the preseason.
Thiero is one of the most athletic players on the Lakers right now and he could become a spot minutes candidate for head coach JJ Redick should he develop his offensive game. Hopefully, sitting him in Summer League was to err on the side of caution and the forward can hit the ground running for his rookie season.
Adou Thiero models game after OG Anunoby & Jrue Holiday
A newfound ideology for the Lakers is developing young talent as the new NBA collective bargaining agreement puts an added emphasis on having cheap talent. With limited first round capital the past few years, L.A. relied on the second round to find hidden gems.
Adou Thiero may be next because his athleticism is otherworldly. That’s in addition to being an extremely physical defender, which can translate to the NBA level. The main concern is his offense, particularly with shooting and earning respect from opposing defenses.
Thiero is certainly taking the right mindset though as after being drafted, he named OG Anunoby and Jrue Holiday as players he tries to model his game after.
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