2025 just gave the Los Angeles Lakers one last diabolical punch in the gut. It comes right when JJ Redick is on a New Year, New Me agenda for the team too. The Purple and Gold are supposed to host the Memphis Grizzlies on January 2, 2026. But they are going to be missing yet another individual.

Between Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons and New Year’s Day, the team dropped the latest injury report with Adou Thiero as the latest entry. The rookie has suffered an injury to his right leg. He’s diagnosed with an MCL sprain.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN confirmed the news with a gut-wrenching “Happy New Year’s” at the end of it. Irony aside, Thiero appears to have suffered the injury during practice. He will be re-evaluated in about four weeks. This means we won’t know when he returns until the end of January.

Dr Evan Jefferies, a sports medicine specialist, who accurately observed that Nikola Jokic did not tear his ACL, had to remind us this was not the only setback Thiero has suffered so early in his career.

“He also came into the season rehabbing a knee injury so been a tough year for the rookie,” Jefferies wrote on X.

Thiero had surgery on his knee before the Lakers drafted him. It forced him to miss the Summer League, preseason, and start of the regular season. They’ve not clarified the treatment plan for him yet. This obviously throws a wrench into the team’s 2026 plans. Especially after what Redick had in store.

JJ Redick’s troubles see no end

Only yesterday, Adou Thiero was serenading LeBron James on his 41st birthday. Now LakeShow is spiraling.

Austin Reaves is out with a Grade 2 calf strain for at least a month. Gabe Vincent continues to recover, while Rui Hachimura will at least miss Friday’s game.

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Without them, the Lakers suffered their fourth loss in five games against the Pistons. Thiero had played less than five minutes, missed his only shot attempt, and had 3 rebounds. He was one of the many unproductive players in the rotation not named Luka Doncic or LeBron James.

Redick debuted his 16th lineup change of the season to cope with the mounting injuries. With the defensive gaps jarring and the embarrassing turnover rate too hard to ignore, the coach made another major admission – that this Lakers team had not yet found its identity.

He blamed the injuries and believes the team would not find its identity until late January. That’s when Reaves and Vincent are expected to return. And now Thiero is on that watch too.

But Redick hardly gave the youngster any minutes. He was averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from the field in 5.9 minutes per game.

While Thiero’s status might not make much of a difference to the starting five, the Lakers are quickly running out of backups. Redick’s headache to balance his rotations is getting painful by the game.