The Los Angeles Lakers and GM Rob Pelinka are making one of the riskiest moves of this year’s free agency: punting on immediate roster upgrades in favor of preserving salary cap flexibility for the 2026–27 offseason.

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is being accused this week of pulling a shady move on one of the team's free agents.

Thiero is one of the most athletic players in this year's draft class and is an outstanding finisher who attacks the basket strongly. He is a poor outside shooter and needs to refine his defense, but he could have the potential to become a legitimate rotation player or even a starter down the road.