On June 27, in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers used a series of operations to trade the 55th pick and cash all the way to the 36th pick, and selected forward Adu Tiero from the University of Arkansas. This short and strong defensive player, who is less than 2 meters tall and weighs 100 kilograms, has officially become an important piece of the Lakers' front line.

It is reported that the Lakers originally planned to use the second-round pick to strengthen the center position, with the target being Kalkbrenner, who is 2.16 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.29 meters . This inside gate who averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in college should have been the ideal choice for the Lakers. However, after being intercepted by the Hornets at the 34th pick, the Lakers quickly adjusted their strategy and continued to trade positions, and finally traded up to the 36th pick with the 45th pick and cash to grab Tiero.

Born on May 5, 2004 , Tiero is a defensive forward with a tough style and excellent athletic ability. He is 1.99 meters tall barefoot and about 2.03 meters tall with shoes . He has a strong physique and a good wingspan. In the 2024-25 season, he played 27 games for the University of Arkansas , averaging 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 54.5% . Although his three-point shooting percentage was only 25.6% , he showed extremely high game intensity in fast breaks, defensive rotations and rebounding.

It is worth mentioning that when he was in high school, Tiero averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, and set a school record for single-game scoring ( 44 points). He started his college career at the University of Kentucky, and later followed his mentor Calipari to the University of Arkansas and became a core player. After being selected, Calipari immediately posted a message on social media to congratulate him, praising his moving story of growing from a "5- foot -11- inch ninth grader " to an NBA player, and was optimistic that he would make a name for himself in the NBA.

Although the Lakers failed to select a center in this draft, the addition of Tiero undoubtedly strengthens the team's defensive depth. He is generally compared to Vanderbilt, both of whom are defensive forwards with switch defense and energy-based play. However, this also makes people worry about functional overlap - the Lakers already have similar players such as Vanderbilt and Finney-Smith.

But as Calipari said, Tiero's value may be underestimated. He has a clear growth curve and a strong mentality. If he can improve his shooting and off-ball skills, it is not an empty talk for him to fight for a place in the Lakers' rotation. For the Lakers, this " short and strong " player with the 36th pick may become another example of picking up a leak in the second round.