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Former Arkansas star forward Adou Thiero is now a member of 1 of the most ironic franchises in sports history.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Thiero will be starting his NBA life with the illustrious Los Angeles Lakers. He was actually drafted 36th overall by the Brooklyn Nets during Thursday night’s second round of the NBA Draft in Brooklyn. But he wasn’t part of the Nets organization for very long.
Brooklyn initially dealt the pick to the Phoenix Suns. It was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that allowed the Suns to move up to No. 31. Finally, Minnesota flipped the pick to the Lakers for cash considerations and the No. 45 pick. Thiero won’t care about the many branches, only that he now gets to try to fit in with a franchise that is hungry for its next championship.
The Lakers have 17 NBA titles, 1 less than the Boston Celtics, and are banking on Thiero to be a part of the next group that brings No. 18 to Los Angeles.
Thiero’s arrival via trade was celebrated by the Lakers’ social media account with this post:
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to Adou Thiero, the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, in a trade that is expected to be finalized at a later date. pic.twitter.com/2h0YxpwTFL
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2025
Thiero made his only season at Arkansas count after spending his first 2 collegiate seasons with John Calipari at Kentucky. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting an impressive 54.5% from the field. That individual success translated to team success as well, as Thiero helped the Razorbacks advance to the Sweet 16 this past season.
Now, it’s up to Thiero to take that heavy dose of SEC experience and translate it to a solid NBA career. That career will start with a glamour franchise.
Cory Nightingale
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
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