The 2025 NBA Draft is in the books, and the Los Angeles Lakers made an aggressive move to trade up and get their guy early in the second round. PFSN graded each team’s draft class, and the Lakers received a solid grade despite only making one selection.
Also, check out PFSN’s free NBA Mock Draft Simulator to get a glimpse of the 2026 NBA Draft class because it’s never too early to look ahead to next year’s draft!
Grading the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2025 NBA Draft
Overall Draft Grade: B+
- Round 2, Pick 36
Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas
Grade: B+
With the 36th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — their only pick in this class — the Lakers swung on upside, selecting Adou Thiero, a physically imposing, high-motor forward with a fascinating developmental arc.
Thiero started as a high school guard and grew into a 6’6” wing with a 7-foot wingspan and a rocked-up 218-pound frame. He looks the part from day one, with an NBA-ready body and the kind of burst that jumps off the screen in transition or on straight-line attacks.
As a slasher, Thiero is relentless.
He’s got an explosive first step, vertical pop, and the kind of downhill power that makes defenders bounce. Add in his elite offensive rebounding for a wing, where he simply outworks opponents, and you’ve got a guy who brings real juice without needing touches run for him.
Defensively, he fits the modern switchable mold. Size, mobility, and physicality all show up. He’s comfortable switching onto multiple positions, disrupting passing lanes, rebounding in traffic, and holding his own at the point of attack.
Draft night with Adou Thiero ✨ pic.twitter.com/NiuBgvREdX
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2025
The question — and it’s a big one — is the shot. Thiero hit just 28.4% from three across his college career, with a 25.6% clip last season and a 71.1% mark at the line. Until that jumper levels up, spacing will be tricky.
Still, the Lakers clearly see the upside. Thiero’s athleticism, versatility, and energy give him a real path to carving out a role, and if the jumper ever comes around, this could end up looking like a steal at No. 36.
While the Lakers didn’t address their glaring need at center, they will be “super active” in free agency and on the trade market to fill that hole.
“We won’t rest until we get it right,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told Spectrum SportsNet. “[We’ll be] super active. We’re gonna turn over every stone and whatever resources the collective bargaining agreement gives us, we’re gonna use to the utmost. That’s what we gotta do.
“We have a couple players with player options, so we’ll get those decisions in just a handful of days, and at that point, we’ll know the tools that we have to go out into free agency and fill out the roster.”
While many Lakers fans wanted the team to select a big man like former Creighton star Ryan Kalkbrenner, he came off the board two picks earlier. Los Angeles pivoted and smartly took the best player available rather than reaching for a center.
