The NBA's trade deadline has gone down as one of the craziest in the history of the sport, and there was a whole lot more to it than just Luka Doncic and De'Aaron Fox moving teams. An underrated aspect of the final days of this period was the great center reshuffle attempted by several outfits, including the Phoenix Suns.
They finally moved on from Jusuf Nurkic - at the premium cost of a first-round pick - while they added the athletic but limited Nick Richards to their roster prior to that deal going down. Both trades were completed with the Charlotte Hornets, who also saw their starting big in Mark Williams traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. This was later rescinded, although we haven't heard the last of that.
Which opened the door for a former Suns lottery pick to head to L.A.
That would be Alex Len - taken fifth overall by Phoenix back in 2013 - who failed to live up to expectations despite spending five seasons (was it really that long?) in The Valley. Since then he has bounced around the league as a backup big with a large frame, although to his credit lasting over a decade in the NBA is an accomplishment itself for the Ukrainian.
Once the Williams deal was reversed, it left the Lakers without a true big on their roster having turned Anthony Davis into Doncic. Understanding the need to fill that void, they promptly waived Christian Wood, which allowed them to bring Len into the fold. A free agent who last suited up this season for the Sacramento Kings.
Watching Alex Len play are we sure Mark Williams failed his physical? pic.twitter.com/7ftDLJLYSa
— 😷 (@LAhenny23) February 13, 2025
Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz however was a timely reminder as to why Len has failed to be anything more than an average at best backup throughout his time in the league. The Lakers lost to an opponent who had only won 12 games all season prior to their 131-119 victory, with Len playing 22 minutes.
The loss is not all on him of course, but his inclusion on this particular roster is exactly why it wouldn't have worked if he'd somehow ended up back in Phoenix instead. That's because Len has some similarities to the recently ditched Nurkic, and not the good kind. On the right roster he can be the presence inside who can get you easy baskets around star players.
Kind of like what Nurkic was under previous Suns' leading man Frank Vogel. When the defensive schemes were set up to better hide his flaws, Nurkic actually had some pretty effective games for the Suns. Contrast that with this season - and with current head coach Mike Budenholzer wanting more out of Nurkic offensively while also not setting up the same on the other end - he flopped badly.
Alex Len 🥴 pic.twitter.com/lByTjYXsvD
— Ethan Price (@Paradox_EP) February 13, 2025
Which is what will happen to Len in Los Angeles. As fantastic as both LeBron and Doncic are, defending at an elite level each and every night is not what we are going to see from them. Conceding 131 points to a team that has lost 40 times already this season is proof of that, with Len being left out to dry on multiple possessions.
The Lakers had to make this move - much like the Suns had to go and get Richards - although he's clearly the better player of the two. But it once again highlights how being in the second apron can have far-reaching negative impacts over the course of a long season. Thankfully on this occasion it is the Lakers who will have to come to that realization, not the Suns.