Lakers Expect Rookie Adou Thiero to Be Cleared for Start of Training Camp
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Rookie wing Adou Thiero is on course to join the Los Angeles Lakers when training camp opens at the end of September, according to a report by Dan Woike of The Athletic.
The 22-year-old was selected 36th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft after the Lakers traded up twice from No. 55. A knee injury suffered late in his final season at Arkansas kept him out of Summer League play, but Woike indicated Thiero has been working out at the team’s facility and is expected to participate fully when camp begins.
Los Angeles entered the offseason looking to bolster its wing depth following the free-agency departure of Dorian Finney-Smith. General manager Rob Pelinka addressed the gap by signing Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart and by targeting Thiero, whose athleticism and defensive instincts drew strong reviews from the front office.
“Adou was projected by our scouts as a first-round talent,” Pelinka said on draft night. “We turned No. 55 into a high second-round pick to select a player we had graded in the first round.”
With no Summer League minutes on his résumé, Thiero’s performance in training camp and preseason will be his first opportunity to impress new head coach JJ Redick. The Lakers’ lack of athleticism on the perimeter could give the 6-foot-6 forward an early path to minutes if he proves healthy and willing to handle the “dirty work” Redick values.
Source: LakersNation.com
