Lakers' Adou Thiero: Out indefinitely with MCL sprain
Rotowire
The Lakers announced Wednesday that Thiero has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Before being selected with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft in June, Thiero was sidelined to close out his final collegiate season at Arkansas while recovering from left knee surgery. He's now dealing with an injury to his other knee, and though surgery doesn't appear to be on the docket for Thiero, he'll likely be sidelined throughout January. The rookie has made 15 appearances for the Lakers this season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Assigned to G League
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Los Angeles assigned Thiero to the G League's South Bay Lakers on Monday.
Thiero has been limited to nine NBA appearances thus far with an average of 5.8 minutes per contest, so this move makes sense for the rookie.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Upgraded to available
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Thiero (knee) has been upgraded to available for Friday's game against the Pelicans, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Thiero will be able to make his NBA debut Friday, though it remains to be seen if he'll be part of the rotation. The uncertainty regarding his role means the rookie out of Arkansas shouldn't have a lot of fantasy value in the early stages of his NBA career.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Probable for Friday
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Thiero (knee) is probable for Friday's game against the Pelicans, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Thiero will have the chance to make his NBA debut Friday, though minutes aren't guaranteed for the 2025 second-rounder. Most fantasy managers can monitor him from afar for the time being.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Gets questionable tag
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Thiero (knee) is questionable for Friday's game against the Pelicans, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
It's the first time all season that Thiero has drawn a questionable tag amid his recovery from left knee surgery. The rookie second-rounder is likely to face restrictions to his playing time upon his season debut, which could come as early as Friday. Thiero's eventual presence could eat into the minutes of Dalton Knecht off the Lakers' bench.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Returns from G League
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The Lakers recalled Thiero (knee) from their G League's South Bay Lakers on Saturday, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Thiero was sent to South Bay as part of his rehab process for a lingering knee injury. The rookie forward was cleared for on-court contact work earlier this week, and he could soon be ready for 5-on-5 action. While a timeline for him to make his NBA debut hasn't been established, Thiero's return doesn't appear to be imminent.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Logs limited practice
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Thiero (knee) was a modified practice participant Sunday, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Thiero missed all of Summer League and training camp due to left knee issues and isn't expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, though he's shown progress by participating in some on-court and practice work. The rookie out of Arkansas, selected No. 36 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, will need to earn his way into the rotation once fully healthy.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Out for at least two more weeks
Rotowire
Thiero (knee) will be re-evaluated in 2-to-3 weeks, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Thiero has progressed to on-court activities, but his knee soreness will likely prevent him from participating in the onset of the regular season. The rookie forward didn't project to be part of the Lakers' Opening Night rotation, so his absence is unlikely to free up any minutes.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Limited to individual work
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Thiero (knee) is still not participating in live drills at practice, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Thiero remains limited to individual workouts due to a knee injury. The rookie forward is losing out on valuable reps at training camp, and he can be considered doubtful to make his preseason debut Sunday against the Warriors. Until Thiero is cleared for contact, the door remains open for Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht to nail down a reserve role in the Lakers' frontcourt.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Held out of practice
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Thiero (knee) did not participate in Tuesday's practice, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Thiero continues to deal with a knee issue, which kept him out of the Las Vegas Summer League for his new squad. The rookie forward's status for the preseason remains uncertain, with the first game getting underway Friday against the Suns.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Still limited by knee injury
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Thiero (knee) has still not been cleared to play, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
After missing the Las Vegas Summer League, Thiero is still in recovery mode due to a knee injury that he suffered during his junior year at Arkansas. The rookie second-rounder will hope to return before the start of the regular season, though he's unlikely to be available for the start of the preseason. In the meantime, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht will battle for reserve minutes in the frontcourt.
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Lakers' Adou Thiero: Heading to Lakers
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Thiero was selected by the Lakers with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Thiero blossomed into a standout college player at Arkansas and enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024-25, averaging 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 27.5 minutes across 27 regular-season appearances while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thiero possesses ideal size, length and athleticism for a forward in the modern NBA. However, the Lakers are built to win now, so Thiero isn't expected to see a lot of minutes in the early stages of his career.
