The Los Angeles Lakers were busy the morning of Day 2 of the 2025 NBA Draft as they traded the No. 55 pick and cash to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for No. 45.
The move signaled the Lakers were interested in a group of prospects projected to go in that range, causing excitement among the fanbase as the scouting department has earned a positive reputation for drafting in the second round. However, after the first few picks of the second round were announced, Los Angeles made another move up. The Lakers traded the No. 45 pick and cash to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for No. 36.
Suddenly on the clock, Los Angeles wasted no time as they selected Arkansas forward Adou Thiero. Thiero was touted as a potential first-round pick, but slid into the second round where Los Angeles made an aggressive move up to get him.
Shortly after being drafted by the Lakers, Thiero expressed how happy he was.
“It feels good, dream come true. Just happy to be here,” Thiero said. “Playing for the Lakers too, that’s a blessing for sure.”
Thiero is a 6’8″ forward with a 7″ wingspan, giving him the ideal size and length for a perimeter in the modern NBA. Thiero’s main calling card is his athleticism as he is arguably the most explosive player in the draft, rattling off plenty of dunks last season with Arkansas.
Aside from his highlight-reel dunks, Thiero is an aggressive and physical defender who can stick with players on the perimeter and even defend the rim in spurts. He was one of the best players in the nation last season getting deflections and was often seen selling out for steals using his length and quickness. Lastly, he’s one of the best offensive rebounders in his class as he routinely crashed the boards for putback dunks.
The biggest knock on Thiero’s game is his offensive, primarily his outside shooting as he shot below 30 percent from the 3-point line last year. He’s not much better from within the arc in terms of jump shooting, but he’s got a solid floater and obviously the bounce to finish around the rim.
It might be hard for Thiero to see the floor in his rookie year given the glut of forwards ahead of him, but he’s an excellent prospect to gamble on because of his physical traits.
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