Adou Thiero gifts Lakers rare glimmer of hope as season falls apart

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are out for the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season and could ultimately miss the playoffs. LeBron James is doing his best to save the Los Angeles Lakers, but is dealing with a foot injury as he does so. To put it simply: The Lakers are falling apart.

Though it may not save Los Angeles from the pain of another potential first-round exit from the playoffs, Adou Thiero is proving the franchise has something to look forward to.

The Lakers traded up to select Thiero at No. 36 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. It was a clear endorsement of him as not only a promising talent, but a player Los Angeles believed could help it resolve its most glaring issue: A lack of developable talent.

Though Thiero has only appeared in 22 games thus far, he took advantage of a rare opportunity for NBA minutes on Apr. 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thiero finished the 123-87 loss to the Thunder with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 21 minutes of play. His energy was overwhelming, with the Thunder having to send him to the free throw line for 10 attempts as they struggled to keep up with his dizzying pace.

It was an ugly night overall, but Thiero showed the Lakers that their goal of building a more balanced rotation is actively being realized with a commitment to his long-term development.

Adou Thiero proves Lakers finally have developable talent

Thiero has his flaws, as proven by the fact that he shot 5-of-10 at the free throw line against Oklahoma City. What he offers Los Angeles, however, is a promising combination of size, athleticism, defensive instincts, and unrelenting intensity along the wings.

Standing at 6'8" and 200 pounds with a 7'0" wingspan and effortless athleticism, the 21-year-old Thiero has the physical tools to be a lockdown defender with positional versatility.

Though hardly anyone was locked down on the Thunder, Thiero still managed to showcase some of his potential. He matched up against everyone from Luguentz Dort to Chet Holmgren, flying around the court and utilizing his powerful frame to knock players off of their spots.

Thiero also extended plays with his effort, made explosive cuts to the basket leading to fouls and conversions, and even buried a three-point field goal.

It was the type of performance the Lakers needed in order to be reminded of the bright future they still have. 2025-26 is bordering on a lost cause, but internal development has been a flaw for far too many years to now ignore how well Thiero played in his limited minutes.

If Thiero can build upon this performance and then make the most of a colossal 2026 offseason, the Lakers may have a full-time addition to their rotation in 2026-27.