As one of nine teams that did not own a pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers put the pedal to the metal in the second round. Rob Pelinka made multiple trades on Thursday night to move up to the No. 36 overall pick, which was used on Arkansas slasher Adou Thiero.
Thiero has to improve his perimeter shooting, but his length and versatility give him tremendous upside as a defender. ESPN analyst Jeremy Woo believes Thiero is the "best defensive playmaker" in the 2025 class.
It seems the Lakers made great use of their lone draft pick, but the front office is moving quickly to add more players in the undrafted pool. They started with a bang by landing the nation's top scorer in Villanova wing Eric Dixon, whom they signed to a two-way contract.
While Dixon was arguably the biggest UDFA prize available, he isn't the only notable post-draft addition the Lakers have made.
Los Angeles Lakers 2025 UDFA Signings
Eric Dixon, Villanova (Two-way contract)
R.J. Davis, North Carolina (Exhibit 10 deal)
Augustus Marčiulionis, Saint Mary’s (Exhibit 10 deal)
The Lakers have had a lot of success in the UDFA pool, with Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso sticking out as the crown jewels.
Dixon is a human microwave on the basketball court. He averaged a Division I-best 23.3 points per game last season while shooting 40.7% from three. That is remarkable efficiency for a 6'7 forward who has a 6'11" wingspan. He'll look to carve out an immediate role in JJ Redick's rotation.
Davis, meanwhile, has been one of the faces of college basketball the last several years. He is UNC's second all-time leading scorer, was named ACC Player of the Year in 2023-24 and helped lead the Tar Heels to the national championship game in 2022.
Marčiulionis is another quality find by the Lakers. The Saint Mary's standout signed an Exibit 10 deal with LA, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony. A two-time WCC Player of the Year, Marčiulionis tallied 14.3 points and made catch-and-shoot threes at a 38 percent clip last season.
Something tells us Pelinka would like to add one or two more players before he puts a bow on the 2025 draft. As things stand, though, this has the look of a very strong UDFA class.