Adou Thiero did not play much for the main roster during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers. 25 regular season appearances averaging 6.0 minutes per game and six playoff appearances with 5.7 minutes a night. 2026-27 could prove to be a similar story if Jonathan Kuminga joins the mix.
The Lakers and Kuminga have been relentlessly linked to one another throughout free agency. With the former lottery pick still being available on the open market, those connections are not likely to go away anytime soon. Thiero should be one of the few quietly rooting for JK to pick another team.
That is not something anyone will hear the Lakers forward openly admit, but his path to regular playing time in 2026-27 is far less contested without the arrival of Kuminga in Los Angeles. Getting those regular on-court reps would allow Thiero to keep his development right on schedule.
A Kuminga sign-and-trade would reset the depth chart in a way that could bury the second-year Lakers forward in the process. That would leave Thiero and most in Los Angeles continuing to wonder just what his long-term future with the franchise looks like.
Jonathan Kuminga would hurt Adou Thiero's case for a real Lakers role
Let us envision how the Lakers could look with the addition of Kuminga here. Generously, this thought experiment gives Rob Pelinka the benefit of the doubt when it comes to finally moving Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht elsewhere in the sign-and-trade to get the roster to 15 players.
The starting lineup could end up featuring Kuminga with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Quentin Grimes. That is five rotational players spoken for. JJ Redick showcased last season that his typical preference was to feature nine.
Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili immediately occupy two more spots from there, leaving only two more openings for others to get on the court. That leaves several players vying for those minutes.
Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, and Jaden Hardy all pose some level of relevant direct competition for Thiero. Kevon Looney would likely see the court on nights when the Lakers need more size up front.
Perhaps Thiero gets the benefit of the doubt against a couple of those names, but is it enough to find consistent minutes over the rest?
Without Kuminga, the biggest hole on the roster is one of the starting forward spots. Thiero gets a much more direct path to the rotation in that instance.
This is not all too say that Los Angeles should abandon their pursuit of Kuminga, or any other starting forward. There is just a clear price to pay here for their young forward. Thiero's skill set still needs to be polished, and the opportunity to do that with live NBA reps may not be there if Kuminga is.
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