The Toronto Raptors continue to bolster the frontcourt after losing veteran bigs Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in free agency.
Toronto agreed to terms with former Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes on Sunday. Then on Monday, the Raptors inked another former Suns big in Alex Len, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Len spent time with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings last season, averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in just under 18 minutes per game.
The former No. 5 pick has shown glimpses of potential throughout his career. Len even shot 36.3 percent from deep and averaged 11.1 points with the Hawks during the 2018-19 season. However, he will almost certainly continue to be a depth piece in Toronto.
The Raptors prioritized re-signing Fred VanVleet in terms of internal free agents, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $85 million deal with the breakout star. Masai Ujiri also kept some of the frontcourt intact by bringing back Chris Boucher, who could see a big uptick in minutes this upcoming season.
It was always going to be a challenge for the Raptors to bring back VanVleet and also attempt to retain Ibaka and Gasol. Instead, Ujiri has pivoted by signing bigs who seem to thrive in bursts.
Toronto is coming off another tremendous year in which it earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and came within a single game of the Easter Conference Finals. Ujiri will hope Baynes and Len can give the team production inside after losing two key big men in Ibaka and Gasol.
Both former Raptors big men are heading to Los Angeles, with Ibaka joining the Clippers and Gasol going to the Lakers.
Follow Us
Subscribe