{"id":123243,"date":"2025-02-11T08:22:47","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T13:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=123243"},"modified":"2025-02-11T08:22:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T13:22:47","slug":"buyout-big-rejects-pacers-lakers-hold-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/11\/buyout-big-rejects-pacers-lakers-hold-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"Buyout Big ‘Rejects’ Pacers, Lakers Hold Interest"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> thought they had solved their center problem. They agreed to a trade for Mark Williams<\/a> from the Charlotte Hornets<\/a>. But medical concerns forced them to back out. Now, they are searching the buyout market for reinforcements. Their options are limited. Jaxson Hayes is<\/a> a backup at best. Christian Koloko<\/a> and Trey Jemison<\/a> are on two-way contracts. Neither is likely to play meaningful playoff minutes. The Lakers need a reliable big man and he could be Alex Len<\/a> according to reports<\/a> from Forbes <\/em>Evan Sidery. This is a bit of surprising news because Len was presumed to be signing with the Pacers just a few days ago.<\/p>\n

Buyout Big, Alex Len ‘Rejects’ Pacers, Lakers Hold Interest<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Len\u2019s Unexpected Free Agency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Len was a prime buyout target. The Sacramento Kings<\/a> traded him to the Washington Wizards<\/a>. Washington then waived him, making him available. Reports suggested he was set to join the Indiana Pacers<\/a>. However, that deal fell apart.<\/p>\n

The Pacers moved in another direction. They signed Jahlil Okafor<\/a> to a 10-day contract instead. Okafor has performed well in the G League, averaging<\/a> 18.6 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. The Pacers valued his scoring more than Len\u2019s defensive presence.<\/p>\n

Len\u2019s Career and Skill Set<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Len entered the NBA as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 draft. The Phoenix Suns<\/a> had high hopes for him. However, he never lived up to his draft status. Over the years, he played for the Suns, Hawks, and Kings.<\/p>\n

Despite his struggles, Len carved out a role as a serviceable backup center. He stands seven feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. His career averages of 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game show his ability to contribute. He also shoots 51% from the field.<\/p>\n

Len is not an elite rim protector, but he provides size and rebounding. He is the type of big man who can give a team solid minutes off the bench.<\/p>\n

The Lakers\u2019 Interest in Alex Len<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After missing out on Williams, the Lakers need depth in the frontcourt. According to reports, they have mutual interest with Len. Given their current options, signing him makes sense.<\/p>\n

Hayes is an energy big but lacks the physicality needed for extended minutes. Koloko and Jemison will likely not see playoff action. Len would give the Lakers a veteran presence. He might not be a game-changer, but he can provide stability. Also, Len has some verticality which is important for Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> to have in a frontcourt partner, to finish lobs and be a rim-running extraordinaire.<\/p>\n

Alex Len is a Short-Term Fix for the Lakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Lakers have championship aspirations. Their roster features LeBron James<\/a> and\u00a0Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>. But their depth at center remains a glaring weakness. If they sign Len, he would not be a star, but he would be a needed body in the paint.<\/p>\n

Len\u2019s signing would not guarantee success. However, for a Lakers team with few options, Len could be a valuable addition. As the buyout market develops, the Lakers must act fast to solidify their rotation.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Lakers thought they had solved their center problem. They agreed to a trade for Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. But medical concerns forced them to back out. Now, they are searching the buyout market for reinforcements. Their options are limited. Jaxson Hayes is a backup at best. Christian Koloko and Trey […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":123251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,11,26,3],"tags":[49979,46,272,1962,38,1133,4261],"class_list":["post-123243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-pacers","category-lakers","category-news","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-alex-len","tag-jahlil-okafor","tag-jaxson-hayes","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-nba-buyout"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123252,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123243\/revisions\/123252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}