Alex Len is not the Lakers’ last buyout option.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially agreed to terms on a new contract with Alex Len. The 7-footer arrived in Los Angeles after the Washington Wizards bought out his contract after the trade deadline. Len was scheduled to join with Indiana, but his plans changed once the Lakers’ Mark Williams trade fell through.
Len played 36 games with the Sacramento Kings this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.3 minutes.
Len, a former top-five draft pick to longstanding rotation big, has built a successful career for himself. His role in Sacramento was limited behind Domantas Sabonis, but he now has a chance to carve out minutes with the Lakers, who have a gaping hole at center after the Williams deal was denied.
Len will not start in Los Angeles, where Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dorian Finney-Smith are expected to continue absorbing minutes at the five spot, but he will be given a chance to play in the second unit. This Lakers squad urgently needs size in the absence of Anthony Davis. Len is not the athletic rim-runner that Luka Doncic is used to, but he is a big frame in the paint who should do well on dump-offs and the occasional lob. He couldn’t have asked for a better star system than Doncic and LeBron James.
However, Los Angeles should continue to look for cheap takeover opportunities. Here are a couple additional possibilities that need your attention.
3. P.J. Tucker, Toronto Raptors.
P.J. Tucker joined the Toronto Raptors as part of the convoluted Jimmy Butler trade involving five other teams. Tucker, 39 years old and in the final year of his deal, has little reason to remain in a rebuilding position. The Raptors’ following signing of Brandon Ingram reveals a somewhat deluded desire to compete, but that move was also made with next season in mind.
There is no need to mince words. Tucker is cooked. He has not been a consistent rotation player since the 2022-23 season with Philadelphia. He was basically glued to the bench with the Clippers, despite arriving with his best friend and former running mate, James Harden.
The Lakers cannot and should not target Tucker with the intention of giving him meaningful minutes. However, Tucker has earned his reputation in this league. In principle, he remains a dynamic wing defender capable of making an impact simply by sheer competitive willpower. Put him in as a’stretch five’ alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and perhaps the two can get something out of Tucker’s latter years. If not, he’s a good seasoned enforcer to have on the bench.
2. Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets.
We finally got to witness LeBron James and his mentee Ben Simmons on the same club, but the latter ended up with the Clippers following his contract buyout. The Brooklyn Nets are most likely not done reducing the fat from their roster. Bojan Bogdanovic has not participated in a game this season, but he still has much to offer a contender.
I’m old enough to recall Bogey giving LeBron hell in the playoffs with Indiana. Last season was a tale of two halves for the 35-year-old, who started well in Detroit but fell out of the rotation in New York. His limited defensive resistance did not mesh with Tom Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy. Now he’s working in Brooklyn as part of the controversial Mikal Bridges transaction.
Bogdanovic has spent the season recuperating following foot surgery, and his return date is questionable. However, if the Lakers can get him back on the court before the playoffs, they should seize the opportunity. LA doesn’t need another defensive negative on the wing, but Bogdanovic is a legitimate shooter with size, and his track record suggests he could fit in with J.J. Redick’s scheme.
1. Jaden Springer, Houston Rockets.
Jaden Springer has already been fired by the Houston Rockets after joining via contract dump from the Boston Celtics. Since entering the NBA, the former first-round pick’s progress has been gradual. He scarcely made an appearance on the court in Philadelphia for 2.5 years before being traded to Boston, where minutes in the backcourt were even scarcer.
Nonetheless, Springer is still 22 years old and possesses formidable defensive abilities. The 2023 G League Finals MVP simply requires an opportunity for genuine growth and a path to playing time. On paper, Los Angeles is not the best landing site for such a player, but the Lakers should be swinging for the fences, especially with so much uncertainty surrounding Luka Doncic’s future.
Springer has mainly been a nonfactor offensively in his professional career, but with Doncic and LeBron leading the charge in Los Angeles, he will not be responsible for creating. He can post up on the perimeter for spot-up 3s, clean up on backdoor cutters, and, ideally, guard his tail off on the opposite end. Aside from Dorian Finney-Smith, the Lakers don’t have many reliable perimeter defenders, which is troublesome given the lack of a scary rim protector in the middle.
Springer, with his combination of youth, exceptional athleticism (despite his tiny 6-foot-3 frame), and keen defensive awareness, is the type of flier this Lakers head office should gladly accept, whether it’s a 10-day contract or a two-way deal.
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