Official signing: Ukrainian big man Alex Len returning to Sacramento to make Kings tougher
Alex Len provided size, strength and toughness during his previous stint with the Kings. Now, the Ukrainian big man is coming back to do it again.
The Kings officially announced Friday they have signed Len to a free agent contract, finalizing an agreement they reached earlier in the week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the 7-foot center signed a two-year, $7.65 million deal, sources told The Sacramento Bee.
“It is great to welcome Alex back to the Kings,” Kings general manager Monte McNair said in a news release. “Alex will add toughness, competitiveness and experience while securing our front line depth.”
Len, 28, is a large human being at 7 feet tall and 250 pounds. He appeared in only 15 games for the Kings after coming to Sacramento in a trade in 2019-20, but he immediately established himself as an imposing defensive presence, averaging 5.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 15.0 minutes per game.
Len came out of Maryland as the No. 5 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns and two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before the Kings acquired him and Jabari Parker in the trade that sent Dewayne Dedmon and two second-round picks to the Hawks.
Len signed with the Toronto Raptors prior to the 2020-21 season, but he appeared in only seven games before he was waived. He signed with the Washington Wizards in January and contributed to their playoff run, averaging 7.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game. He appeared in 57 games for the Wizards, including 40 starts.
In Sacramento, Len will add size and depth to a frontcourt that features forwards Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless, Marvin Bagley III and Chimezie Metu with Richaun Holmes, Tristan Thompson and Damian Jones at the center spot.
