Adou Thiero ‘trending in the right direction,’ could return from knee injury by end of week

Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero is trending in the right direction and could return from a left knee injury by the end of the week, according to head coach JJ Redick. Thiero has yet to appear in a regular-season game this season due to persistent swelling in his left knee. Redick noted prior to Monday's victory over the Miami Heat that Thiero has undergone live exposures in practice.

The second-year forward previously missed extensive time during his rookie season with left knee swelling and a right knee MCL sprain. Once healthy, Thiero is expected to provide perimeter defense and athleticism to support a Lakers wing rotation that currently includes Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Jake LaRavia, and Quentin Grimes.