Lakers sign Alex Len, waive Christian Wood to fortify center depth – San Bernardino Sun

The Lakers signed Alex Len on Tuesday, adding depth to their big man rotation after Jaxson Hayes was the team’s lone center.

Len most recently played for the Sacramento Kings, who traded him to the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team deal that included the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of last Thursday’s deadline, with the Wizards waiving Len over the weekend.

The 7-foot, 250-pound Len was originally expected to sign with the Indiana Pacers, but instead decided to join the Lakers, where he’ll have the opportunity to be the primary backup big in light of the team rescinding its trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams on Saturday.

Len, 31, hasn’t averaged more than 10 minutes per game since the 2021-22 season.

To make room for Len on their 15-man roster, the Lakers waived big man Christian Wood, who hasn’t played this season while recovering from an offseason left knee surgery.

Wood, 29, signed with the Lakers during the 2023 offseason.

He hasn’t played in nearly a year. Wood appeared in 50 regular-season games last season, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes, before being sidelined for a month starting in mid-February 2024 because of a left knee ailment that led to surgery in March 2024.

Wood had another left knee surgery last September.

Len, a 12-season NBA veteran, has averaged 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.2 minutes (36 games) this season.

He was the primary backup for Kings center Domantas Sabonis before being traded.

For his career, which has included multiple stints with the Kings (2021-25, 2019-20),  the Wizards (2020-21), Toronto Raptors (2020-21), Atlanta Hawks (2018-20) and Phoenix Suns (2013-18), Len has averaged 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes (680 games).