2017 NBA free agency grades: Phoenix Suns retain Alex Len

Facing a staring contest in restricted free agency, Alex Len and the Phoenix Suns agreed to bring the seven-footer back on his one-year qualifying offer.

When the Phoenix Suns first selected the seven-foot Alex Len with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, they were looking for something that’s been rare in the team’s history: A bonafide franchise center.

Though Len entered his rookie year recovering from ankle surgery a few months prior, the Suns were confident they had drafted a mobile, high-upside big who protect the paint, convert easy looks down low and eventually blossom into a stretch-5 who could even spread the floor with a serviceable mid-range jumper.

Four summers later, with Len hitting restricted free agency and the Suns refusing to dole out significant money, it was hardly surprising when ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Ukrainian would be playing out the 2017-18 season on his $4.2 million qualifying offer.

In short, Len has one last chance to prove his value and establish himself within #TheTimeline before hitting unrestricted free agency next summer.

In 2016-17, which was supposed to be Len’s breakout year for the second year in a row, the big man failed to supplant a 34-year-old Tyson Chandler in the starting lineup until the team shut the veteran down after the All-Star break.

Instead of seizing his opportunity, Len was actually outplayed by the team’s third-string big, Alan Williams. While Len put up 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game after the All-Star break, he was also a -5.7 on the court, shot 49 percent from the floor and was overshadowed by Big Sauce’s 11.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game on 51.4 percent shooting, which came with only a -1.6 point differential.

Related Story: Phoenix Suns 2017-18 season preview

For the season, Len averaged 8.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game (tied for 17th-most in the league) on 49.7 percent shooting — a step down from his career year the season before, when he posted 9.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game, albeit on a dismal 42.3 percent shooting.

Len had a lower rebounding percentage than both Chandler and Williams last year, his -11.1 Net Rating was worse than every Suns player except Ronnie Price and Brandon Knight, and Phoenix was 7.4 points per 100 possessions better without Len on the floor.

Though he finished 61 percent of his looks at the basket, that was just a smidgen above the league average of 60.9 percent. Len shot just 35.6 percent on mid-range attempts, which constituted 41.2 percent of his shot selection. Even worse, he was a virtual black hole when he caught the ball in these areas, posting a grand total of 44 assists in 1,560 minutes over his 77 appearances.

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So yes, it’s not surprising the Suns were unwilling to pay up for an unproven player, especially since he was so injury-prone in his first two seasons. Avoiding a Denver Nuggets-Mason Plumlee overpay for a restricted free agent nobody was bidding on was a no-brainer for general manager Ryan McDonough. The Suns also have $14.3 million in cap space with this move.

However, that’s not to say there’s nothing good here. For all his flaws, Len improved as a rim protector last season and has steadily gotten stronger. The last two seasons, his body has cooperated, as he’s been healthy enough to play in 78 and 77 games.

Though he’s been very inconsistent, Len has shown flashes of being a serviceable starting big as well. He’s mobile and when he plays with confidence, he looks like a very different player.

It’s never a good time to be a restricted free agent, but after last summer’s spending spree, the 2017 market dried up pretty quickly. For an underwhelming top five pick who still hasn’t proven himself in this league, that big offer sheet from another team was never coming.

To that end, Alex Len playing out the 2017-18 season for the Suns on his $4.2 million qualifying offer makes sense for both parties. For Len, it’s his last chance to prove himself as a starting-caliber center over Chandler before unrestricted free agency hits next summer.

For the Suns, it’s yet another chance to gauge this 24-year-old’s value and see if he actually has a place within #TheTimeline. If he proves that he does, they can likely sign him for a cheap amount next summer thanks to a loaded 2018 free agency class. If not, they can cut ties and definitively move on from what’s increasingly looking like a waste of a top five selection.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A-