The Los Angeles Lakers will be back on the floor sooner than later as the start of training camp and preseason is this week.
After a longer offseason following their playoff elimination, several members on the roster took the summer to work on their bodies and games. Meanwhile, the Lakers also got a perceived steal in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft when they moved up to take Arkansas wing Adou Thiero.
Thiero graded out as one of the best overall athletes in his class, an area that Los Angeles has been lacking in recent years. Unfortunately, Thiero was unable to participate in Summer League as he recovered from a knee injury that likely dropped his draft stock.
Although Thiero hasn’t been cleared for the start of training camp, he is reportedly on schedule in his rehab process and could be back on the floor as soon as next week, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
A source familiar with Thiero’s situation told ESPN that the rookie is in line with the team’s recovery timeline and has a week remaining in his rehab before being cleared. https://t.co/ZvIMN8GJZO
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 29, 2025
Thiero suffered the injury toward the end of his final season at Arkansas and it sounds like he and the team are waiting for him to be fully healthy before clearing him. The Lakers have been snakebitten by injuries in the past, so it’s always good to exercise patience.
Los Angeles can also afford to slow play Thiero’s recovery timeline as he is not expected to play meaningful minutes for the parent team during the 2025-26 season. The rookie offers massive upside as a two-way wing with plus athleticism, but he’s still a shaky shooter without much of a handle. Defensively, Thiero projects well though there are technical aspects that could be ironed out.
The Lakers have earned a reputation for being able to identify talent in the second round of the draft, so it was telling that they moved up twice to take Thiero. President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka revealed the team had a first-round grade on the Arkansas alum, so it’ll be interesting to see what he looks like on the court once he’s cleared to play.
Rob Pelinka compares Lakers’ Adou Thiero to OG Anunoby
Adou Thiero is a raw prospect offensively, but it’s impossible to teach his size, length and athleticism at his position. Rob Pelinka and the Lakers seem high on Thiero as the general manager compared him to OG Anunoby.
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