The Los Angeles Lakers officially agreed to terms on a new contract with Alex Len this Tuesday. The 7-footer arrives in LA after the Washington Wizards bought out his contract following the trade deadline.

Len was originally expected to sign in Indiana, but his plans changed after the Lakers’ Mark Williams trade fell through.

Len appeared in 36 games for the Sacramento Kings this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.3 minutes.

A former top-five pick turned longtime rotation big, Len has put together a nice career for himself.

His role flatlined in Sacramento behind Domantas Sabonis, but he gets a nice chance to carve out minutes with the Lakers, who have a gaping void at center after the Williams trade was rescinded.

Len won’t start in LA, where Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dorian Finney-Smith should continue to absorb minutes at the five spot, but he will get a chance to stick in the second unit. This Lakers team desperately needs size in lieu of Anthony Davis.

Len is not the athletic rim-runner type Luka Doncic is used to, but he’s a hulking frame in the paint who should feast well enough on dump-offs and the occasional lob. He couldn’t ask for a better star apparatus than Doncic and LeBron James.

Los Angeles should keep its nose to the ground in search of more cheap buyout opportunities, though. Here are a few more options that merit your attention.

3. P.J. Tucker, Toronto Raptors

P.J. Tucker ended up with the Toronto Raptors as part of the complicated five-team Jimmy Butler trade. At 39 years old and in the final year of his contract, Tucker has little reason to stick in a rebuilding situation.

The Raptors’ subsequent acquisition of Brandon Ingram suggests a potentially delusional desire to contend, but even that trade happened with an eye toward next season.

We don’t need to beat around the bush. Tucker is cooked. He hasn’t been a dependable rotation cog since the 2022-23 campaign in Philadelphia.

He was effectively glued to the bench with the Clippers, despite arriving alongside his best friend and once-effective running mate, James Harden.

The Lakers cannot and should not target Tucker with plans of handing him significant minutes. That said, Tucker has earned his reputation in this league.

He is still, in theory, a versatile defender on the wing who can render an impact through sheer competitive willpower. Slot him in as a ‘stretch five’ next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and perhaps that duo can squeeze something out of Tucker’s waning years. If not, he’s a nice veteran enforcer to have on the bench.

2. Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets

We finally had a chance to see LeBron James and former mentee Ben Simmons on the same team, but the latter wound up with the Clippers after his contract buyout. The Brooklyn Nets probably aren’t done trimming the fat off this roster.

Bojan Bogdanovic has not appeared in a game this season and he still has something to provide on a contender.

I’m old enough to remember when Bogey was giving LeBron hell in the playoffs with Indiana. Last season was a tale of two halves for the 35-year-old, who started strong in Detroit before falling out of the rotation in New York.

His limited resistance on defense did not align with the Tom Thibodeau coaching philosophy. Now he’s toiling in Brooklyn as part of the infamous Mikal Bridges trade.

Bogdanovic has spent this season rehabbing from foot surgery, and his return timeline remains uncertain. That said, if there’s a chance to get him back on the floor before the playoffs, the Lakers ought to pounce.

LA doesn’t necessarily need another defensive negative on the wing, but Bogdanovic is a legitimate shooter with size, and the track record is strong enough to think he might catch on in J.J. Redick’s scheme.

1. Jaden Springer, Houston Rockets

Jaden Springer has already been axed by the Houston Rockets after arriving via salary-dump from the Boston Celtics.

It has been slow-moving for the former first-round pick since arriving in the NBA. He barely sniffed the court through 2.5 years in Philadelphia, then was dealt to Boston, where minutes were even harder to come by in the backcourt.

That said, Springer is still 22 years old with serious defensive chops. The 2023 G League Finals MVP just needs an opportunity for serious development and a path to playing time.

Los Angeles isn’t the best landing spot for such a player on paper, but the Lakers should be swinging for the fences on the margins, especially with so much uncertainty as to how the future will shape up around Luka Doncic.

Springer has mostly been a nonfactor offensively in his pro career, but he won’t need to handle creation responsibilities with Doncic and LeBron running the show in LA. He can post up on the perimeter for spot-up 3s, clean up on backdoor cuts, and ideally defend his tail off on the other end.

The Lakers don’t have a ton of dependable perimeter stoppers aside from Dorian Finney-Smith, which is problematic when one considers the lack of an intimidating rim protector in the middle.

With his combination of youth, outlier athleticism (despite an undersized 6-foot-3 frame), and sharp defensive acumen, Springer is the exact sort of flier this Lakers front office should gladly take, whether it’s a 10-day contract or a two-way deal.