The Atlanta Hawks addressed a major issue by signing former University of Maryland Terp and Phoenix Suns seven-footer Alex Len to a two-year, $8.5 million dollar contract this afternoon. Len was the fifth overall pick by the Suns in the 2013 draft.
Len averaged 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and just under a block (0.9) per game last season for the Suns. He played in 69 games, starting just 13 while tying a career high three-point percentage (.333). The 7-1 Ukranian, during his five-year career (all with Suns), averaged 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. His addition gives the Hawks a replacement for the role recently departed Mike Muscala played with an upgrade in regards to rebounding and shot blocking.
Drafted to be a featured player for a Suns team that then was desperate for a star, Len has not lived up to the expectations of being a top-5 pick and now will be able to fill a lesser role for the Hawks, presumably off the bench behind starting cebnter Dewayne Dedmon.
