Draft

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired the draft rights to forward Adou Thiero as part of a seven-team deal in exchange for the draft rights to Rocco Zikarsky and cash considerations. Thiero was selected with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.Thiero (6’8”, 220) played his final collegiate season at the University of Arkansas in 2024-25, appearing in 27 games (26 starts) and posting career-best averages of 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 27.5 minutes. The 21-year-old became just the eighth player in Razorbacks history to record at least 400 points, 150 rebounds, 50 assists, 40 steals and 20 blocks in a single season.In 72 career games (45 starts) across three seasons with Arkansas and the University of Kentucky (2022-24), Thiero averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 20.4 minutes. The Pennsylvania native will wear jersey No. 1 for the Purple and Gold.

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Los Angeles Lakers Acquire Draft Rights to Adou Thiero in Seven-Team Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers selected guard Bronny James with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft held Thursday in New York. James (6'2", 210) averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games (six starts) in his lone season at the University of Southern California in 2023-24. The 19-year-old scored in double figures in three outings, including a season-high 15-point performance on Dec. 30 at Oregon State. James tallied at least five assists in five contests and recorded multiple steals in five games.Prior to his freshman campaign at USC, James attended Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles where he played four seasons for the Trailblazers. James was named a McDonald's All-American following his senior season where he averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals.Born in Akron, Ohio, James is the son of current Lakers forward LeBron James.Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka on Bronny James:"Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character. And secondly, he's a young man who works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core at the Lakers. He had a great draft workout with us where he displayed those qualities.""In terms of his work ethic, we've all seen that lived out, too. He's not a person who has ever taken shortcuts or expected or been entitled about basketball opportunities."

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Lakers Select Bronny James No. 55 Overall in 2024 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Lakers selected guard Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft held Wednesday night in Brooklyn.&nbsp;

Knecht (6’5”, 212) averaged 21.7 points (45.8 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 77.2 FT%), 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 36 games (all starts) in his lone season at the University of Tennessee in 2023-24. A First Team All-America selection and SEC Player of the Year, the 23-year-old led the conference in points per game and ranked third in 3-point field goal percentage last season.&nbsp;

In 103 Division I games (79 starts) across one campaign at Tennessee and two seasons at Northern Colorado (2021-23), Knecht posted averages of 16.9 points (46.1 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 76.8 FT%), 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 29.8 minutes. The Colorado native scored in double figures in 75 of those contests, including 38 games with 20+ points, 11 games with 30+ points and one 40-point performance.

Knecht played two seasons at Northeastern Junior College (2019-21) after graduating from Prairie View High School in Henderson, Colo.

Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka on Dalton Knecht:

“It’s an extremely exciting night for the Los Angeles Lakers. We would have never imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there for us. We had him as a top 10 player unanimously across our scouting boards.”

“His competitive nature stood out. He’s a three-level scorer. He’s a guy that’s going to defend. He’s physical, he’s athletic and a 3-and-D player that every roster craves. He fits so well with our pillar pieces. There’s a lot of versatility to his game and he gives us a weapon that we currently don’t have on our roster.”

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Lakers Select Dalton Knecht No. 17 Overall in 2024 NBA Draft

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that the NBA Draft 2024 will expand to a two-night format that features the first round on Wednesday, June 26 and the second round on Thursday, June 27. 

The first round will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., home of the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp; The second round will take place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App will each air the first round, and ESPN and the ESPN App will broadcast the second round.  Coverage on both nights will begin at 5 p.m. PT.  ESPN’s presentation of the second round will include a comprehensive review of the first round and in-depth storytelling about the draftees.  ESPN Radio will also provide national coverage of the NBA Draft.    

The first round will continue to have five minutes between draft picks.&nbsp; For the second round, the time between draft picks will increase to four minutes from two minutes.

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NBA Draft 2024 Expands to Two Nights

Go into the draft process with Rob Pelinka and Jesse Buss

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Behind the Scenes: Draft Process

A look at Maxwell Lewis' workout with the Lakers prior to the 2023 NBA Draft

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Maxwell Lewis Draft Workout

GM Rob Pelinka with the call to Jalen Hood-Schifino

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The moment Jalen became a Laker.

A look at Jalen Hood-Schifino's workout with the Lakers prior to the 2023 NBA Draft