Second-year forward Adou Thiero is off the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report ahead of Friday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, putting him in position to make his season debut.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, meanwhile, is questionable with an illness.
Mamukelashvili’s uncertain availability could create an opportunity for Thiero. The Lakers have not announced a role or playing-time commitment for the returning forward.
The update gives JJ Redick a new option while potentially removing another from his frontcourt rotation. Thiero can return to consideration after his knee-related absence, but Los Angeles still has to determine whether Mamukelashvili will be able to play.
Lakers injury report vs. Trail Blazers
The NBA’s Thursday report issued at 5:15 p.m. Pacific lists the following Lakers statuses. Thiero is included below to highlight his removal from the report.
| Player | Status | Reason or update |
|---|---|---|
| Adou Thiero | Off injury report | Cleared after knee-related absence |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | Questionable | Illness |
| Walker Kessler | Available | Left finger splint |
| Bronny James | Out | G League assignment |
| Cameron Carr | Out | G League assignment |
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves do not appear on that report. Kessler’s inclusion does not indicate that he is questionable; his designation is available.
James and Carr are listed for assignments rather than injuries. Those entries should not be read as health setbacks, while Mamukelashvili’s illness is the unresolved medical issue on the Lakers’ list.
Adou Thiero moves closer to his season debut
Thiero’s clearance follows a return to live work. On Monday, Redick said the Lakers hoped to have him available by the end of the week.
The Lakers subsequently sent Thiero to their G League affiliate for practice. Redick offered an encouraging assessment Wednesday, before the game in Sacramento.
“Practice was fine today,” Redick said. “Went well. That was the plan just to get him a live practice today and then he’ll be back with us.”
Thursday brought confirmation of his recall from Coachella Valley.
The distinction between those steps matters. A practice assignment gave Thiero an opportunity to work against other players, while the subsequent injury-report update establishes his availability for NBA competition.
Neither announcement, on its own, guarantees that Redick will insert him into Friday’s rotation.
Thiero has had to navigate repeated interruptions early in his career. He had left knee swelling as a rookie and a later right MCL sprain.
Thiero’s potential to help defend the ball and bring more activity to the perimeter will be a major plus for the Lakers.
His offensive fit will matter, too. For a supporting forward playing alongside creators such as Doncic and Reaves, useful possessions can come through timely cuts, screens and quick passes.
Those are possible ways to contribute without requiring the offense to be reorganized around a returning player.
What Mamukelashvili’s status means for the rotation
Mamukelashvili’s potential absence would raise a separate question about how Los Angeles handles minutes behind Kessler. Thiero’s availability helps the overall depth, but it does not automatically make him a replacement at center.
The Lakers have different options for those lineups. As explored in Lakers Daily’s earlier look at the team’s center depth, Mamukelashvili offers passing and floor spacing, while Kevon Looney gives Redick another way to approach the position.
If Mamukelashvili cannot play, Looney would be an option to cover some of that work. Redick could also adjust the combinations around his big men, depending on the matchups. Those remain possibilities rather than an announced plan.
The important question is how the entire unit functions. Changing a center can affect the space available to the ball-handlers, the way the Lakers defend screens and who is responsible for finishing possessions with a rebound.
Adding an available forward does not settle all of those decisions. That is why Thiero’s return and Mamukelashvili’s illness are connected without being a simple one-for-one exchange.
Redick may have another player to use, but he would still have to decide which skills each lineup needs and how much work to give a player returning from an extended absence.
Trail Blazers injury report
Portland announced four absences for Friday, including three injury-related entries.
| Player | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Ja Morant | Out | Left hamstring strain |
| Shaedon Sharpe | Out | Right meniscus surgery |
| Vit Krejci | Out | Left ankle fracture |
| John Tonje | Out | G League two-way assignment |
Krejci is a recent addition to that group. Portland ruled him out during Wednesday’s game in Phoenix with a left ankle injury, and Thursday’s report identifies a fracture.
Those absences affect Portland’s perimeter options, but they do not establish who will start or how the remaining minutes will be distributed. Friday’s confirmed lineups will provide a clearer picture of the matchups Thiero could face if he gets onto the floor.
When do the Lakers play the Trail Blazers?
Friday’s NBA Cup game tips off at 7 p.m. Pacific at Crypto.com Arena.
The next update to watch is Mamukelashvili’s game-day status. The NBA requires additional reporting on game days, with changes posted as they become available.
A final decision on his illness would give the Lakers a firmer basis for setting their bench combinations before tipoff.
