 Len with theAtlanta Hawks in 2020 | |
| No. 27 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1993-06-16)June 16, 1993 (age 31) Antratsyt, Ukraine |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dnipro Higher College (Dnipro, Ukraine) |
| College | Maryland (2011–2013) |
| NBA draft | 2013: 1st round, 5th overall pick |
| Selected by thePhoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 2010–2011; 2013–present |
| Career history | |
| 2010–2011 | Dnipro |
| 2013–2018 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2018–2020 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2020 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2020–2021 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2021 | Washington Wizards |
| 2021–2025 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2025–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
OleksiiYuriyovychLen (Ukrainian:Олексій Юрійович Лень; born June 16, 1993), commonly known asAlex Len (Ukrainian:Алекс Лень), is a Ukrainian professionalbasketball player for theLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Before being drafted, he played two seasons for theMaryland Terrapins (then in theAtlantic Coast Conference) as well as a season withDnipro.
Len was born inAntratsyt,Luhansk, Ukraine to a mother named Yuliia, who ran track early in her life. Growing up, Len participated ingymnastics and liked watchingJackie Chan films.[1][2][3] As a young gymnast, Len was trained by Oleksii Stepanenko, who had also trained Olympic gold medalistIhor Korobchynskyi.[4] He started playing basketball at the age of 13 and later attended Dnipro Higher College inDnipro,Ukraine.[5] He played for the Ukraine national team at the2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and the2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, where during the 2010 tournament, he was the fourth-best overall scorer, second-best rebounder, and the best shot blocker. Following the tournament, Len joinedBC Dnipro of theUkrainian Basketball SuperLeague for the 2010–11 season.
Len was recruited by then Maryland assistant basketball coach,Scott Spinelli. He was the recipient of an athletic scholarship from theUniversity of Maryland coachGary Williams, but Williams resigned after the2010–11 season.Mark Turgeon was hired to take his place. While Williams began recruiting Len, it was Turgeon and Spinelli who eventually lured him to Maryland.[6] Len underachieved in his freshman year, averaging 6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, but showed lottery pick potential after serving a ten game suspension at the beginning of the year due toNCAA amateurism issues resulting from his play withBC Dnipro, a European club team from his home nation.
Len opened his sophomore season on November 9, 2012, against the reigning championKentucky Wildcats, led by ESPN's #1 player of the 2012 recruiting class,Nerlens Noel. The game was played at the brand-newBarclays Center inBrooklyn. Len overpowered Noel throughout the entire game, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, while holding Noel to just four points, although Kentucky won the game 72–69. Following the game, there was talk[by whom?] that Len could potentially be a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. On January 16, 2013, Len scored 10 points, including a game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds in the game, upsetting #14North Carolina State with a 52–50 win. On February 16, 2013, Len played a role in Maryland's 83–81 victory over the top rankedDuke Blue Devils. Len put up 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, while holding Duke star seniorMason Plumlee to four points.[7] He went on to average 11.9 points per game in 38 total games that season.
On April 14, 2013, Len decided to declare for the2013 NBA draft. He was projected to land in the lottery, with some experts projecting Len as the #1 overall pick.[8][9] On May 3, 2013, Len ended up getting surgery on his left ankle that resulted in him being out for several months, ultimately causing him to sit out from the2013 NBA Summer League.[10]
Len was selected fifth overall by thePhoenix Suns in the 2013 NBA draft. Len was the second international-born player to be selected in that draft, behind the first overall selection inCanadian-bornAnthony Bennett, as well as the highest-selectedUkrainian-born player to be drafted in the NBA, which was a record previously held byVitalii Potapenko in 1996. He was also the first Suns player to be taken in the top 5 of an NBA draft sinceArmen Gilliam in 1987. Due to his ankle surgeries, Len did not join the Suns for the2013 NBA Summer League. On July 12, 2013, Len had surgery on his right ankle due to astress fracture.[11] He signed with the Suns on August 29, 2013,[12] and was cleared to practice with them by early September.[13]
Len made his NBA debut on November 1, 2013, at home in a close victory against theUtah Jazz. He sat out seven games before returning on November 19 against theSacramento Kings. However, a day later, Len re-injured his left knee and missed over six weeks before returning on January 7 against theChicago Bulls. Len had his first 10-rebound game in a 126–117 win over theMilwaukee Bucks on January 29, 2014.[14]
In July 2014, Len joined the Phoenix Suns for the2014 NBA Summer League. In the Suns' first game of the Summer League, Len recorded 6 points and 6 rebounds against theGolden State Warriors before fracturing his right pinkie finger and was subsequently ruled out until training camp.[15] On October 7, 2014, a day before the Suns' first pre-season game of2014 against Brazilian clubFlamengo, Len fractured the same pinkie finger again, forcing him to the sidelines once more.[16] He returned to action two weeks later in the Suns' pre-season game against theLos Angeles Clippers on October 22.[17]
On October 31, 2014, Len recorded his first career double-double with career-highs in points and rebounds with 10 and 11, respectively, in the Suns' 94–89 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[18] On November 17, he scored a then career-high 19 points in a 118–114 win over the Boston Celtics.[19] Len started his first game on December 15 against theMilwaukee Bucks and continued to start for the Suns until February 5 when injured his ankle after a failed alley-oop attempt in the third quarter against thePortland Trail Blazers.[20] After missing three games due to the injury, he returned to action on February 20 to record 11 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.[21] On April 2, he underwent successful surgery to repair his broken nose, an injury he suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 30.[22] He subsequently missed the final seven games of the season.[23]
In July 2015, Len re-joined the Suns for the2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where in five games, he averaged 10.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.[24] Following the conclusion of the Summer League, Len began training with his new teammateTyson Chandler, as well as rival center and one of Len's personal favorite players,Tim Duncan, throughout the off-season.[25] On December 9, Len recorded a then career-high 20 points and 14 rebounds in a 107–104 win over theOrlando Magic.[26] On January 11, he was ruled out for three games with a left hand sprain.[27] On February 4, he recorded 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 111–105 loss to theHouston Rockets.[28] On February 21, he recorded a then career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds in a 118–111 loss to theSan Antonio Spurs.[29] He went on to set a new career high on March 4, recording 31 points along with 15 rebounds in a 102–84 win over theOrlando Magic.[30] Two days later, Len recorded 19 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high 6 assists in a 109–100 win over theMemphis Grizzlies.[31] On March 17, he recorded his 10th straight game with 10+ rebounds.[32] On April 7, he recorded a career-high seven assists in a 124–115 win over the Houston Rockets.[33] Len appeared in 78 games for the Suns in 2015–16, starting in 46 of them, both career highs. He recorded 19 double-doubles and finished with averages of 9.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, all career highs.[32]
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After going 0–4 to start the season, Len helped the Suns record their first win on November 2 with 18 points in a 118–115 overtime victory over thePortland Trail Blazers.[34] On November 8, he recorded 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a 107–100 win over theDetroit Pistons.[35] On December 9, he recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high five blocks off the bench in a 119–115 win over theLos Angeles Lakers.[36] On February 10, 2017, he was suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area and entering the playing court during an altercation in the Suns' 110–91 loss to theMemphis Grizzlies two days earlier.[37]
Following the 2016–17 season, Len became a restricted free agent. On September 25, 2017, after spending the off-season looking to get a better deal,[38] Len signed a one-year, $4.2 million qualifying offer to return to the Suns.[39][40] On November 17, 2017, Len had 17 points and 18 rebounds in a 122–113 win over theLos Angeles Lakers.[41] On November 28, 2017, he tied a career high with 18 rebounds in a 104–99 win over theChicago Bulls.[42] On December 16, 2017, he had 12 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in a 108–106 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[43] On March 2, 2018, he had six blocks in a 124–116 loss to theOklahoma City Thunder.[44]
On August 3, 2018, Len signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with theAtlanta Hawks.[45][46] On December 23, 2018, he had 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 98–95 win over theDetroit Pistons.[47] On March 3, 2019, he scored a then season-high 28 points with a career-high five 3-pointers in a 123–118 win over theChicago Bulls.[48] On April 7, he scored a career-high 33 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, in a 115–107 loss to theMilwaukee Bucks.[49]
On February 6, 2020, Len andJabari Parker were traded to theSacramento Kings in exchange forDewayne Dedmon and two second round picks.[50][51]
On November 29, 2020, Len signed with theToronto Raptors.[52] He was waived by the Raptors on January 19, 2021, after 13 regular season games.[53][54]
On January 23, 2021, Len signed with theWashington Wizards.[55]
On August 13, 2021, Len signed with theSacramento Kings.[56] On January 7, 2022, he recorded a season-high 18 points, alongside ten rebounds and two steals, in a 111–121 loss to theDenver Nuggets.[57]
On July 8, 2024, Len re-signed with the Kings.[58]
On February 6, 2025, Len was traded back to theWashington Wizards in a multi-team deal.[59] On February 11, 2025, Len was waived by the Wizards and later signed with theLos Angeles Lakers.[60][61]
Len played forUkraine's Under-16 national team during the2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. Despite his performance throughout the tournament, which included a 20-point outing againstIsrael and averaging 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and being the second-best shot blocker in the tournament with 2.6 blocks per game,[62] the Under-16 national team was relegated under the Division B section after the tournament for over a year's time. He played with his nation's Under-18 national team for the2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. Unlike in the Under-16 Tournament he participated in back in 2009, Len helped the Under-18 team stay in the Division A tournaments for at least another year. His performance throughout the tournament led to theUniversity of Maryland, along with a few other universities likeVirginia Tech, gaining enough interest in him to get him on their team.[6]
In August 2018, Len was named to play for theUkraine national basketball team for the first time at the2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in September.[63]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Phoenix | 42 | 3 | 8.6 | .423 | — | .645 | 2.4 | .1 | .1 | .4 | 2.0 |
| 2014–15 | Phoenix | 69 | 44 | 22.0 | .507 | .333 | .702 | 6.6 | .5 | .5 | 1.5 | 6.3 |
| 2015–16 | Phoenix | 78 | 46 | 23.3 | .423 | .143 | .728 | 7.6 | 1.2 | .5 | .8 | 9.0 |
| 2016–17 | Phoenix | 77 | 34 | 20.3 | .497 | .250 | .721 | 6.6 | .6 | .5 | 1.3 | 8.0 |
| 2017–18 | Phoenix | 69 | 13 | 20.2 | .566 | .333 | .684 | 7.5 | 1.2 | .4 | .9 | 8.5 |
| 2018–19 | Atlanta | 77 | 31 | 20.1 | .494 | .363 | .648 | 5.5 | 1.1 | .4 | .9 | 11.1 |
| 2019–20 | Atlanta | 40 | 9 | 18.6 | .546 | .250 | .630 | 5.8 | 1.1 | .5 | .8 | 8.7 |
| 2019–20 | Sacramento | 15 | 3 | 15.0 | .593 | .667 | .708 | 6.1 | .5 | .2 | 1.0 | 5.9 |
| 2020–21 | Toronto | 7 | 2 | 10.8 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.6 | .4 | .1 | .9 | 2.3 |
| 2020–21 | Washington | 57 | 40 | 15.8 | .619 | .263 | .636 | 4.4 | .8 | .3 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
| 2021–22 | Sacramento | 39 | 10 | 15.9 | .534 | .286 | .651 | 4.1 | 1.2 | .3 | .6 | 6.0 |
| 2022–23 | Sacramento | 26 | 2 | 6.2 | .533 | .000 | .688 | 2.3 | .5 | .2 | .4 | 1.7 |
| 2023–24 | Sacramento | 48 | 0 | 9.3 | .617 | .000 | .588 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .2 | .7 | 2.5 |
| 2024–25 | Sacramento | 36 | 3 | 7.2 | .537 | .167 | .538 | 1.8 | .8 | .2 | .5 | 1.4 |
| Career | 680 | 240 | 17.1 | .510 | .322 | .680 | 5.3 | .9 | .4 | .9 | 6.7 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Washington | 2 | 2 | 12.4 | .400 | — | .500 | 5.5 | 1.0 | .5 | .5 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | Sacramento | 2 | 0 | 6.6 | .000 | — | — | 2.0 | .5 | .5 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 4 | 2 | 9.5 | .333 | — | .500 | 3.8 | .8 | .5 | .3 | 2.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Washington | 5 | 3 | 8.4 | .571 | – | .571 | 2.2 | .4 | .2 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2023 | Sacramento | 7 | 0 | 7.8 | .778 | – | .833 | 2.9 | .1 | .0 | .4 | 2.7 |
| Career | 12 | 3 | 8.0 | .652 | – | .692 | 2.6 | .3 | .1 | .3 | 3.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Maryland | 22 | 11 | 21.2 | .553 | .000 | .587 | 5.4 | .6 | .2 | 2.1 | 6.0 |
| 2012–13 | Maryland | 38 | 37 | 26.4 | .534 | .125 | .686 | 7.8 | 1.0 | .2 | 2.1 | 11.9 |
| Career | 60 | 48 | 24.5 | .538 | .111 | .663 | 7.0 | .8 | .2 | 2.1 | 9.7 | |
In December 2015, Len and his mother, Yuliia, created theLen-d A Hand Foundation, a charity that helps reach out to the youth inPhoenix, Arizona and other surrounding areas.[64][65] A strong swimmer, on April 25, 2016 he helped save his friend and a lifeguard from drowning at a beach in theDominican Republic.[66]
