The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a quick, two-game road trip, one that began with a thrilling, 116-115 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves following Austin Reaves knocking down the game-winner. The road trip concludes against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, and the Lakers might get more reinforcements soon. Lakers rookie Adou Thiero received a new update on the knee injury that’s delayed his NBA debut.
Adou Thiero was recently cleared for live on-court contact work as he continues his rehab from the knee injury, and he was assigned to the Lakers’ G League affiliate in South Bay, as per Brad Turner of the LA Times. The next step for Thiero in being able to make his NBA debut is being able to participate in five-on-five work.
Thiero was not able to take part in NBA Summer League as he was sidelined due to said knee injury. He initially sustained the injury while in college at Arkansas, and he was forced to miss the final eight games of his NCAA career.
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The No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Lakers traded up to select Thiero in a draft day trade. Thiero began his college career at Kentucky where he played two seasons from 2022-2024. He then entered the transfer portal and followed John Calipari when he became the head coach at Arkansas. Thiero then declared for the NBA Draft after his junior year.
While he was in college, he developed into a strong defensive player capable of guarding multiple positions. Thiero believes he can bring that same defensive intensity to the NBA. Once he is cleared to play, Thiero will likely spend a good portion of his rookie season in the G League getting reps with South Bay. He is clearly more long-term for the Lakers rather than the immediacy.