Alex Len leaving Kings for Toronto

Free agent center Alex Len joins a growing list of former Sacramento Kings looking elsewhere to continue their NBA careers. On Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the veteran bigman has signed with the Toronto Raptors for the 2020-21 season.

The 7-footer came to the Kings mid-season as part of the Dewayne Dedmon deal that also landed Jabari Parker in Sacramento. In 15 games, he averaged 5.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. But more importantly, he brought a level of size and toughness that has not been seen in SacTown for years.

With the Kings likely looking at Marvin Bagley, Nemanja Bjelica, Richaun Holmes, and Parker as their center rotation, “toughness” is not the first word that comes to mind. Fans just assumed that Len would be back for, at least, another year to shore up the middle against large front lines like the Lakers and other such teams, while Bagley figured out how to play the position.

Now, the rumors of a possible Hassan Whiteside return to Sacramento are sounding even more chillingly realistic. Let’s hope Monte McNair has spoken to someone with the team who was here during Whiteside’s initial stint and realizes that it is not something worth repeating. There are plenty of other 7-footers still on the market.