Lakers Fans Rejoice as Rob Pelinka Trades up to Draft Adou Thiero: “Can Officially Send LeBron to Retirement”

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka had to fix a lot of the wrongs from last season despite being strapped for cap space.

Lakers Fans Rejoice as Rob Pelinka Trades up to Draft Adou Thiero: “Can Officially Send LeBron to Retirement”

Rob Pelinka moves up to Draft Adou Thiero (Image via FirstSportz)

The Los Angeles Lakers did not have a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, the team needs players, and their fans were calling out GM Rob Pelinka to do something noteworthy to help Luka Doncic and LeBron James succeed next season.

The Lakers had the No. 45 pick in their hands, and the first thing they did was send it to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with some cash in exchange for the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 36 pick. This move up nine places was strategic, as Pelinka apparently saw a prospect available at that spot.

The Lakers have several needs, most notably, an elite or soon-to-be elite center who can control the interior. However, a center this late in the draft might not be anything more than a rotational player at best.

Therefore, Rob Pelinka drafted a rotational player who can impact the team soon. That player ended up being Arkansas Razorbacks star Adou Thiero. Thiero is listed at 6′ 6″, 218 lbs. More importantly, he is an elite athletic wing who can impact both ends of the floor.

He can drive to the rim, block shots, and defend the perimeter. At the same time, he also has a penchant for offensive rebounds, something the Lakers struggled with after Anthony Davis left via trade. All of those skills suggest the franchise is looking to replace someone on its roster.

Lakers fans praise Rob Pelinka for drafting Adou Thiero

Los Angeles Lakers fans are passionate about their team. So are others, but when it comes to them, they have a certain unabashed delusion when it comes to their franchise. They believe any player coming into the team is a great player.

Then, when things do not work out, those fans are the first to hurl back criticisms. In Adou Thiero’s case, Lakers fans continued that trend and took to social media to praise Rob Pelinka. They believe the GM has brought in someone who has elite potential. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Whether Adou Thiero becomes an elite rotational piece or not is something only time will tell. He has the tools to become an important piece of the Los Angeles Lakers’ puzzle. If he develops as per what head coach JJ Redick wants from him, he could easily look to help the team.

He comes highly touted from Arkansas, where he played under John Calipari. Thiero was with Calipari at Kentucky and followed his head coach to the Razorbacks after Calipari’s tenure with the Wildcats did not end well.

Rob Pelinka drafted Adou Thiero to replace Dorian Finney-Smith

Adou Thiero’s skill set is similar to two players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster. Both Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith are lengthy athletic players who happen to be excellent defenders and can score when needed.

Dorian Finney-Smith might leave the Lakers
Dorian Finney-Smith might leave the Lakers (Image via NBA/X)

The latter is strongly rumored to consider declining his $15.4 million player option for the upcoming season. Finney-Smith is one of Luka Doncic’s closest teammates. Therefore, it is unknown what is prompting him to possibly take this route.

Even if he does not leave, bringing a rookie with similar traits would not be a luxury. Vanderbilt’s injury history is a concern, and the franchise has struggled whenever he is out. The Lakers need physicality both on the perimeter as well as inside the paint.

The majority of that should come from a center. Whenever Rob Pelinka sorts that out, having Adou Thiero to clean up any misses and aid in help-defense would be valuable as the team moves into their post-LeBron James era.

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