The last time the Lakers played a playoff game, their starting five featured LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton. That was back in April against the Houston Rockets. Every single one of those guys is gone now.
Not just some of them. All five. The entire Game 1 lineup JJ Redick rolled out because Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were injured has completely vanished from the roster. That’s a full cleanup of the opening-night playoff rotation.
Second-year forward Adou Thiero watched it happen from the bench. He played limited minutes as a rookie but he’s still here. And when reporters asked him about the mass exodus, he didn’t dwell on it.
“It’s going to be different but that’s not what I’m really focused on right now,” Thiero said. “This is the team I’m with right now so I’m focused on getting better, getting better with this group of guys.”
That quote sums up the vibe around the Lakers these days. The front office spent the offseason doing a full teardown and rebuild around Doncic and Reaves. They brought in center Walker Kessler through a sign-and-trade with Utah. They added Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton in free agency. They also locked up Reaves on a long-term extension. The roster looks nothing like it did three months ago.
For a young player like Thiero, the turnover is actually an opportunity. With so many veterans gone, there are roster spots to claim and minutes to earn. He’s been mentioned alongside Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia as part of the developing core the Lakers want to build around Doncic moving forward.
Thiero didn’t play much last season but the Lakers clearly see something in him. His response to the roster overhaul — focused on the present, not worried about who left — is exactly the kind of attitude the organization needs from its younger guys right now. There’s a lot of new faces in that locker room and not much time to look backward.
The Lakers open next season with a completely different identity. No LeBron. No Smart. No Ayton. Just a reshaped team built around Doncic and Reaves with a bunch of young players trying to prove themselves. Thiero plans to be one of them.
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