Sacramento Kings, Alex Len reach agreement on one-year deal
Jul 2, 2023, 12:26 PM
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings are keeping most of their inaugural ‘Beam Team’ intact.
According to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, free agent center Alex Len has signed a one-year deal to return to the Kings in a move that will add depth behind franchise big Domantas Sabonis.
Len, 30, signed a veteran’s minimum deal for $3.2 million, meaning that the new contract will not count against Sacramento’s cap.
Free agent center Alex Len has agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract to re-sign with the Sacramento Kings, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Agent Michael Lelchitski of @SIGSports negotiated the deal for Len’s return.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2023
After playing just 45 minutes over the first 74 games of the 2022-23 season, Len took the reigns of the backup center spot and finished out the final eight games averaging 3.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 61 percent from the field.
Kings head coach Mike Brown opted to utilize Len’s screen-setting and shot-blocking skillset down the stretch, which the team would need against their first-round opponent, the Golden State Warriors.
“First thing that jumps off the bat is his size,” Brown said of Len on April 2nd. “And he uses it well. It’s extremely impactful. It’s impactful when he’s around the rim and he’s rebounding. For as big as he is, he’s got really good feet. He gets up and down the floor fairly well.
“He’s probably our best screen setter in pick-and-roll situations,” Brown continued when asked about Len’s reemergence in the rotation. “He gets his feet set, doesn’t move, his base is solid. And then he gets out of the screen really quick in terms of getting a paint touch by putting pressure on the rim, trying to dive to the rim.”
Len, who just finished a two-year deal with Sacramento, will rejoin his teammates as the current backup center behind Sabonis.
There are still questions that need to be answered regarding the Kings’ final roster, but for now, general manager Monte McNair is keeping the band together by extending Sabonis and Harrison Barnes, retaining Trey Lyles, and now bringing Len back into the fold.
Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule
- Monday, July 3rd & Wednesday, July 5th – California Classic Summer League at Golden 1 Center
- Thursday, July 6– Free Agents can begin signing deals
- Friday, July 7–Monday, July 17– NBA Summer League in Las Vegas
- August TBD– 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule release
- September TBD– Sacramento Kings training camp begins
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