If the Los Angeles Lakers wanted more speed and athleticism on the court, they had a very clear option to turn to in-house. That would have been their 2025 NBA Draft pick, Adou Thiero. Unfortunately for all parties, any potential experimentations will be put on hold.
Trevor Lane reported, "Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero has been diagnosed with a right MCL sprain. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors in approximately four weeks."
This leaves JJ Redick with one less person who could help his team build a clear identity during the 2025-26 NBA season. An MCL sprain is not an injury that should be taken lightly. After being patient with Thiero all summer, the Lakers will be forced to readopt that same approach now.
Lakers' desperate desire for speed and athleticism won't include Adou Thiero — for now
Thiero's involvement during the 2025-26 season has been minimal thus far. The Lakers rookie had only appeared in 15 games before his MCL injury, averaging 5.8 minutes per game in what was usually clean-up duty during garbage time.
The moments of upside and excitement had largely come down in the G League. With the Lakers already struggling with injuries before his ailment, there was a thought that perhaps his opportunity for real playing time could finally come as other players remained absent. Instead, Thiero joins those guys on the shelf.
The former Arkansas star spent the offseason rehabbing with the Lakers from knee surgery. This latest ailment comes as another tough blow to what has been a quiet rookie season for the man who Los Angeles aggressively traded up to acquire with the 36th overall pick.
For the most part, the expectation had always been that 2025-26 would be a developmental year for the second-round pick. However, the recent struggles of the Lakers had been calling out for exactly what Thiero could offer.
Los Angeles spent December getting absolutely decimated on the defensive end. It wasn't just bad, it was downright ugly.
The Lakers had the second-worst group on that end of the court in December, ranking 29th, and posting a defensive rating of 122.4. Watching fast and shifty perimeter players blow right by them was just one of the ways that athleticism stood out as a genuine need for the team's defense.
There was no guarantee of Thiero being turned to as a solution for those problems. Even so, now the option of exploring that avenue has been eliminated altogether for at least one month.