The Los Angeles Lakers might get a center after all.
Alex Len, the 7-foot, 250-pound center who was the No. 5 pick in 2013, is no longer signing with the Indiana Pacers as he initially planned, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reported on Monday, Feb. 10.
Dopirak speculated that it might have to do with the Lakers becoming a more attractive option after the nixed Mark Williams trade.
“There has been movement at the center position in the league since then, however, which could have changed the dynamics of his decision. For instance, the Lakers rescinded their trade with the Hornets that would have brought them center Mark Williams for guard Dalton Knecht and forward Cam Reddish among other assets and found themselves in the market for a center again,” Dopirak wrote.
Len was waived by the Washington Wizards after he was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade with the Memphis Grizzlies headlined by former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
The 31-year-old Len averaged 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game with the Kings this season. A 12-year veteran, Len enjoyed his best year in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018-19 season when he averaged 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds. His production had fallen off the clip drastically in a game now dominated by modern-day big men who can shoot the ball from the perimeter.
Still, Len could add size to the Lakers’ thin frontcourt.
The Lakers have to waive a player on their roster if they intend to pursue Len.
‘Best Option’ Headed to Euroleague
Len has emerged as the Lakers’ top option as former Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis is finalizing a deal with AS Monaco in the Euroleague, Basketnews reported on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Theis would have been the Lakers’ best option, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
“Looking at the center free agent and buyout market, I think Daniel Theis is the best option,” Buha said on his podcast, “Buha’s Block” on Feb. 8. “He’s fine as an option. He could be a bit of a lob threat. I think Luka can have some fun. Luka just likes lob threat, big men, so in that sense, I think he could be fine.
“He is a bit of a mobile big like he’s got some defensive versatility. I’ve always liked Theis’ game. I just think 28-year-old Theis was a significant, noticeably better player than 32-year-old Daniel Theis. There’s a reason he’s kind of like a fringe NBA player [right now].”
Jericho Sims Considered Before Mark Williams Trade
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers considered former New York Knicks reserve center Jericho Sims before the Hornets presented the opportunity to trade for Williams.
“The Lakers considered adding bruising 6-10 center Jericho Sims, sources said, before he was moved from New York to Milwaukee on Wednesday for Delon Wright as an addition to the Kyle Kuzma-for-Khris Middleton deal. Sims would have fit the “stuff around the margins” category that Pelinka vowed the team would explore during Doncic’s introductory news conference Tuesday because, the GM said, “the market for bigs right now … is very dry. There’s just not a lot available,” McMenamin wrote.
Sim, who registered a 44.5-inch vertical jump at the 2021 NBA draft combine, is an athletic lob threat. However, he isn’t as skilled as Williams, who is in the midst of a career season before the nixed trade with the Lakers.
Williams is averaging 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting an efficient 59.7% from the field. On the other hand, Sims has only averaged 13.4 minutes per game, producing 2.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in his career as a fringe center for the Knicks before he was traded to the Bucks.
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