It took four days for Kings general manager Monte McNair to land his first free agent last November. That isn’t the case this year.
After agreeing to a two-year, $9 million contract with Moe Harkless less than an hour and a half into free agency, NBC Sports California has confirmed that McNair added depth on the front line in 7-footer Alex Len on a two-year deal.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania was first with the news.
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HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported, citing a league source, that the deal is worth $7.65 million over two years.
Specifics of the contract are not known at this time, but this is the second tour of duty for Len in Sacramento. The former No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft came to the Kings at the 2020 trade deadline and added toughness, rebounding and shot-blocking in his 15-game stint with the team.
The Kings passed on bringing back the Ukrainian-born big last summer and he signed a deal with the Toronto Raptors in free agency. That didn’t work out as planned and he was waived mid-season. The Kings had interest in bringing him back, but he was claimed by the Washington Wizards before they had a chance to grab him.
NBA
In 57 games in Washington, including 40 starts, Len averaged 7.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game.
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What this means for free-agent center Richaun Holmes is unknown at this time, but Len should be considered a backup at this point of his career. He’s only 28 years old, but he has a history of injuries and he has never averaged more than 23.3 minutes per game in his eight-year NBA career.
This is a solid rotational addition that adds a true 7-footer to the mix.