The Los Angeles Lakers' biggest problem heading into the offseason is filling out a deep, competent rotation and roster to support Luka Doncic. Thankfully for them, a move they made last offseason should be set to help them in solving that issue.
Rob Pelinka and the front office worked hard to secure the services of Adou Thiero. Before the 2025 NBA Draft, the Lakers were slated to only have one pick, all the way down at 55th overall. They aggressively moved up to nab the rights to the 36th overall pick that was used on their new wing.
Despite that focused effort, Lakers fans did not see much of Thiero during the regular season. Untimely injury issues made it difficult for JJ Redick to feature him in the early parts of the campaign, turning him into somewhat of an afterthought as the year progressed.
However, Thiero was front and center for one of Redick's boldest decision of the NBA Playoffs. That should speak loudly with relation to what the plans will be for him when his second season in the league comes due in 2026-27.
Adou Thiero's second-year leap should help solve Lakers' depth crisis
When Redick was tasked with mixing things up for the Lakers in the second-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the second-year coach threw his rookie into the deep end. The results were surprisingly stomachable.
While featuring Thiero over Jake LaRavia did not substantially swing the series in the Lakers' favor, there were positives to take away. The former Arkansas forward led Los Angeles in rebounding, with eight boards, during Game 3, despite only playing 13 minutes.
That spoke to Thiero's biggest gift as an NBA pro: his athleticism. The Lakers forward was hustling and flying all over the place. While his overall game is still noticeably raw, and that was on full display, the intangibles were immeasurably satisfying to see.
Doncic has thrived with athletic freaks in the past before. Being teammates with Derrick Jones Jr. on the Dallas Mavericks offers a great example of that.
What Thiero is still missing, which will be a massive component of just how well he can help solve the Lakers' depth issues, is a jumper. Watching the rookie forward will still make it obvious to anyone that his shooting form needs a lot of work with developmental coaches.
That should be the primary focus for him all summer. From workouts to the Summer League, and anything else that comes with that process, Thiero should be hoisting shots tirelessly in an effort to improve the deep ball.
Should that component get added to his game, there would be strong upside in having such an impressive athlete in the Lakers rotation next year. Thiero's opportunity to be one of Redick's main guys will be there, and that just might make Pelinka's summer task easier too.
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