The injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers have been able to eke out a few incredible victories recently due in large part to the heroics of rising star guard Austin Reaves, even while Luka Dončić and LeBron James have remained out of the lineup.
Los Angeles' 26-year-old phenom and 40-year-old future Hall of Famer are far from the only Lakers to have been hit by the injury bug, as even their No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Adou Thiero, had dealt with a setback of his own in his debut campaign.
Fortunately for the Lakers, their young two-way wing looks to be on his way towards a potential NBA debut in the near future, as The Athletic's Dan Woike reported Wednesday that he'd been given a positive new designation.
"Lakers forward Adou Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work," Woike shared via X/Twitter on Wednesday night.
"The next progression in his return-to-play process is participating in 5-on-5 activities."
"He will be integrated into team practice over the next week, including with the South Bay Lakers."
With Thiero getting set to be an active team practice participant, he'll move one step closer towards making his debut with the team in a dire situation.
The Lakers have plenty to be excited about with regard to their second-round draft choice, as the 21-year-old could provide the team with a much-needed defensive boost on the perimeter, even after Dončić and James return to action.
In 27 appearances with the University of Arkansas in his junior collegiate season, Thiero excelled as a star two-way forward and averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks while posting an incredible 4.7 defensive box plus-minus.
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