NBA update: Len joins new team after a Ukrainian was snubbed last season
Alex Len joins his 7th NBA team (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian center Oleksii (Alex) Len has signed with the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks, reports Sports International Group.
Details of deal
The Ukrainian player has not yet received a full contract with the team. He signed an agreement for the training camp period, which could be extended into the regular season.
Len was not the only player invited to the Knicks' training camp. Joining him is his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Trey Jemison, whose services the Lakers also declined after the season ended.
If Len and the Knicks reach an agreement after the training period, this club will become the seventh in his overseas career. Previously, he played for the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Notably, another Ukrainian big man, Dmytro Skapintsev, previously tried to establish himself with the Knicks. He even debuted in the regular season but failed to secure a spot and eventually moved to Israel's Hapoel Jerusalem.
The NBA 2025/26 regular season is scheduled to start on October 21.
Len's 2024/25 season
During the last season, the Ukrainian center changed three NBA teams. He started with the Sacramento Kings, playing 36 games. In the winter trade period, he moved to the Washington Wizards but did not play a single game for the team. In February, his contract was terminated, and he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.
With the Lakers, he played 12 games in total: 10 in the regular season and 2 in the playoffs. His stats: 1.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in an average of 10.5 minutes per game.
After the season, the Lakers chose not to extend their cooperation with the Ukrainian player.
About Alex Len
The 32-year-old was born in Antratsyt, Luhansk region. In childhood, he practiced artistic gymnastics and chess. He trained in sports schools in Luhansk and Dnipro, including SDYUSHOR-5.
After playing for Dnipro's second team without real opportunities in the main squad, he moved to the United States. He played in the NCAA for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected fifth overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
Len spent his first five seasons with the Suns and later moved between several NBA teams.
In total, he has played 12 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 690 games, 244 of which he started. His career averages are 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17 minutes per game.
He has also represented Ukraine in the World Cup 2019 qualifiers and EuroBasket 2022.
Previously, we revealed why NBA player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk declined to play for the Ukrainian national team.
