Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has stayed busy this summer in hopes of constructing a roster that will fit well around Luka Doncic. While LeBron James’ future remains unknown, Pelinka and the front office have made a host of lineup moves in an attempt to build talent around their newest superstar.
But most recently, the Lakers got a concerning update on one of their newest additions. According to Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com, Los Angeles will be without second-round draft pick Adou Thiero in the preseason and potentially longer. Dave McMenamin of ESPN confirmed the news, adding that the 36th overall pick is still on the team’s original timeline for recovery.
Thiero suffered a knee injury while playing for Arkansas last season and didn’t play in any of the Lakers’ Summer League games.
Adou Thiero Not Yet Healthy
While Thiero remains sidelined for the time being, the 21-year-old has already received high praise, despite not yet playing a minute for the Lakers. Speaking with the media after the 2025 NBA Draft, Pelinka gave a bold comparison for their incoming rookie. He compared Thiero’s potential to that of OG Anunoby on the New York Knicks.
“Obviously, OG is an incredible player that’s done so much in the league. I don’t want to put pressure on anyone to become someone else, but that archetype is definitely it,” Pelinka said on Thiero. “He’s got the 6’7″ frame, he’s incredibly explosive, I think he’s a developing shooter, he’s a lob catcher. I think on the other side of the ball, he’s gonna be an elite defender. He has all the tools there.”
The Lakers made a draft day trade to move up and select Thiero 36th overall. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds on 54.5% shooting in his junior year with the Razorbacks. But besides his stats, Pelinka had high praise for the prospect as a person.
“JJ Redick and I actually hosted him in our building a couple weeks ago, took him to lunch and really got to know his character,” Pelinka added. “That’s such an important part of the equation and he’s a great young man and hungry to get better and learn and grow.”
Thiero’s development with the Lakers has been put on hold due to the lingering knee injury that has sidelined him from all game action all summer. While he is still expected to return at some point, he did not meet the initial timeline reported by Dan Woike of The Athletic, which projected him to return by training camp. As of now, he remains out.
The Lakers And Pelinka Have Stayed Busy
While the latest updates on Thiero aren’t the best sign for the Lakers’ front office and fanbase, Pelinka has stayed busy in hopes of turning their first-round exit roster into one that can win four straight postseason rounds.
Most recently, Los Angeles announced the addition of former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. He was waived by the Charlotte Hornets and arrives at the Lakers on a two-way deal, one of three players set to spend time in the G-League.
The Lakers also signed Anton Watson and Nate Williams to Exhibit-10 contracts. The two will likely spend time on the team’s training camp and preseason roster, but there’s no guarantee either will have a spot on the opening day lineup. Those additions come after Pelinka and the front office made multiple moves over a few days, picking up and dropping players the Lakers wanted to give a test run.
More notably, the Lakers added Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia over the offseason, each of whom is expected to have a big role on the team this upcoming season. But like the other newcomers, the veteran players will also be graded on how well they fit with Doncic.
With the future of James unknown, as he’s made clear multiple times, Pelinka is doing everything he can to maximize their time with the Slovenian superstar. Austin Reaves is another mystery for the team, and while he could command a massive contract, the team is still deciding if they want him to be a part of their long-term future.
“In terms of team building, we’ve talked about the importance of having optionality and when I use that word, it’s not to say in the future,” Pelinka said about the Lakers’ roster. “I think optionality is also in the now.”
Lakers Get Troubling Update On Rookie Compared to $212M Star