[Los Angeles Lakers](https://lakersdaily.com/) rookie Adou Thiero reportedly is on track to participate in training camp after he missed Summer League with a knee issue.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Thiero’s absence in Summer League raised “some eyebrows” around the NBA.
> “There were definitely some eyebrows raised around the NBA when Thiero missed summer league with a knee issue, but I can finally offer a little optimism (we’re 1,000 or so words in so I probably should),” [Woike wrote](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6550156/2025/08/13/lakers-mailbag-lebron-giannis-jokic/). “I’ve been told Thiero has been working out in the Lakers’ facility and is expected to be participating once training camp opens at the end of September. As far as his role? It’s gonna be crowded. But it’s sort of a universal truth in the NBA. If young players want to get on the court, you do it by making an impact on the defensive end. And Thiero has the tools to make an impact on the defensive end.”
Thiero was selected with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While an early second-round pick like Thiero may have a hard time cracking head coach J.J. Redick’s rotation right away, he does have an interesting skill set.
After spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky, Thiero transferred ahead of the 2024-25 season to the University of Arkansas. While he played for the same coach (John Calipari) as he did at Kentucky, Thiero evolved his game in a major way.
In his lone season at Arkansas, he averaged 15.1 points (way up from his previous career-high of 7.2 points), 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. A strong defender on the wing, Thiero could carve out a role with the Lakers as a defensive stopper.
It’s great news that the rookie should be able to hit the ground running in training camp, as the Lakers certainly don’t want him falling behind other players on the team as the season approaches.
Los Angeles has a crowded rotation at the moment, as players like Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and Bronny James will all be vying for minutes in the rotation at the guard or forward spots alongside or behind Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
It won’t be easy for Thiero to carve out a role, but he could follow the footsteps of former Laker Jordan Goodwin (who was waived this offseason), as he became a part of Redick’s rotation down the stretch of last season for his hustle and hard-nosed play on the defensive end.
Last season, the Lakers earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but they had some glaring holes on their roster behind their star players. Los Angeles attempted to fix its issue at center by signing Deandre Ayton this offseason. Elsewhere, the Lakers added Smart, LaRavia and Thiero to the fold, and all could be solid complementary players.
Hopefully, Thiero will make an impact in his rookie season and prove to be one of the steals of the 2025 NBA Draft.