When you look at the Los Angeles Lakers roster and asset pool, two things don’t jump off the page: high-end young talent or a boatload of draft capital to add it. This is what makes hitting on every draft pick so much more important for Rob Pelinka.
We’ve seen in the NBA that the best way to extend a winning window is by being able to rotate young talent on cheap deals in for aging veterans on a downward trajectory. While the Lakers don’t have a ton of young talent, they do have a few intriguing pieces that, if developed right, have a ton of upside to be real impact players long term.
One of those players is Adou Thiero, who didn’t get to develop much in his rookie season because of health struggles. At Lakers Media Day, Thiero was asked what he learned about his body during his rookie campaign. The answer he gave is an encouraging one for his long-term development.
"Definitely got to pick and choose when I want to, when I can be athletic on the floor. My athleticism puts me in harm's way sometimes."
Saying that relying less on being an athletic freak will help him stay on the court is encouraging. It goes hand in hand with his development and ability to make a big impact sooner. He also later mentioned that he learned the best ability is availability, emphasizing his desire to stay on the court.
Adou Thiero is on the right track for the Lakers
When you look at the Lakers depth chart, there may not be an obvious area for Thiero to slot in as a rotation piece this season. With Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle arriving, the value Thiero provides as a point-of-attack defender isn’t quite as important as it was last season.
However, if the Lakers need a boost of energy, particularly on the defensive end, JJ Redick is likely to turn to Thiero in those situations.
Even then, that’s spot minutes. Thiero still wouldn’t project to see much on-court time developing with the Lakers, but that doesn’t shut the door on the G League. One of the most unfortunate pieces of his injury struggles last season was that it impacted the time he spent playing in the G League.
Thiero played only seven games in 2025-26 with South Bay, and if he had played more, his role going into next season with the Lakers might have been more defined.
We know what he brings defensively as a guy who can be a two-plus stocks (steals plus blocks) per game talent. Offensively, we know he thrives as a lob threat and play finisher because of his elite leaping ability. But with less focus on leaning into his athletic traits, the G League is a great place for Thiero to keep developing his handle and outside shot-making ability.
In the seven regular season games he spent with South Bay last season, he shot over 60 percent from deep. While it was on low attempts, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
For anyone evaluating Thiero coming into the NBA, it was clear he could be a walking highlight reel because of his athleticism. But his rookie season proved that to be an everyday impact player in the NBA, he needed to define his playstyle more than just being an athletic highlight machine. In the same way that Alfred wanted Bruce Wayne to become more than Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.
Thiero to taking ownership of that and making it a point of emphasis going into next season is an encouraging sign. He’s on his way to becoming an important piece of the Lakers' future.
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