Former Kentucky wing Adou Thiero will begin NBA career in Los Angeles

Once a three-star high school recruit, Adou Thiero is officially on his way to the NBA.

Thiero, who played two seasons at Kentucky (2022-24) before following John Calipari to Arkansas for the 2024-25 season, was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. The pick was made by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but reports indicate the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired it via trade, meaning Thiero will team up with LeBron James and Luka Doncic as a rookie in 2025-26.

“I’m so proud of how far Adou has come from a 5’11 9th grader to becoming an NBA player,” Calipari wrote on social media. “Incredible journey. Forget what round he is drafted in he is a player they will look at and go ‘how did he get drafted there that was a steal’ We have had guys go in the second round or even undrafted that go on to have a great NBA career! He has what it takes mentally and physically to succeed in the NBA. Go do it Adou!”

During his junior campaign with the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-8 Thiero had his best season yet, averaging 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. According to BigBlueHistory, Thiero is the 16th Kentucky player who transferred to another school and was later drafted.

I’m so proud of how far Adou has come from a 5’11 9th grader to becoming an NBA player. Incredible journey. Forget what round he is drafted in he is a player they will look at and go “how did he get drafted there that was a steal”

We have had guys go in the second round or even…

— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) June 27, 2025

Thiero was mostly unknown as a high school prospect at Quaker Valley (PA) before signing late with Kentucky in 2022. His father, Almamy, played at Memphis under Calipari for three seasons (2002-05). That connection was enough for Calipari to take a chance on a still-growing Thiero, which ended up paying off.

With the Wildcats as a freshman in 2022-23, Thiero saw limited minutes, averaging 2.3 points in 9.5 minutes per outing across 20 games played. But he took a sizable leap as a sophomore in 2023-24 with per-game averages of 7.2 points and five rebounds in 21.4 minutes per contest. Expectations were high in Lexington going into his junior season, but once Calipari left for Arkansas, Thiero tagged along and had a significant breakout season as one of the best players in the SEC.

His shooting will need some work, but Thiero’s size, physicality, and year-over-year development are what make him such a tantalizing NBA prospect.

Best of luck in the NBA, Adou.