Phoenix Suns' Alex Len sees his time in Valley 'probably' coming to a close

The Suns’ Alex Len again showed glimpses of his potential during Phoenix's ninth straight loss Tuesday night.

Len had one of his better games of the season with 19 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. It was Len’s 10th double-double of the season, giving him at least 10 double-doubles each of the past four years.

The last Suns player to have at least 10 double-doubles in four straight seasons was Steve Nash, who did it a slightly different way from 2004-12.

“I felt good. Teammates were finding me,” Len said.

The game is a reminder of what Phoenix thought Len could be when it made him the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft. But as the season comes to a close and Len heads into the summer as an unrestricted free agent, it’s clear that after five mostly unfulfilling years, Len will be with a different team in 2018-19.

“Probably,” Len told azcentral sports in a one-on-one discussion prior to the game against Detroit.

Len isn’t closing the door on returning to the Suns. But he gets it. General Manager Ryan McDonough has said finding a center in either the draft or via free agency is the organization’s highest priority. Tyson Chandler has one more year left on his contract, and Alan Williams proved last season he can be an effective backup – as well as a fan favorite.

That doesn’t leave any room for Len and, frankly, he’s fine with that.

“I’m looking forward to this offseason,” he said. “I think it’s going to be exciting. It’s the first time I’m actually going to have a chance to go where I want to go.”

Len was disappointed last summer when, as a restricted free agent, he didn’t get the offers he anticipated and wound up coming back to Phoenix and playing for its $4.2 million qualifying offer. His value this summer remains a question. Although he’s just 24 years old, he’s had five seasons to prove himself and he’s yet to average more than nine points or 7.6 rebounds per game.

Some of that may have to do with opportunity. Len has started just 137 games and never played more than 23.3 minutes per contest.

“I can play up to 30 minutes easy,” he said.

Len believes he has more to offer than what he’s shown with the Suns, even though in his first four years in the league he never shot better than 30 percent on 10- to 16-foot jumpers. This season he’s shooting 47.1 percent from that distance, but on only 17 field-goal attempts.

“I think I can step out and shoot mid-range,” he said. “This year Jay (Triano) did not want me to shoot at all so I just played my role. Wherever I go I can space out to mid-range and I can knock that shot down.”

Len said he’d like to sign with a team that will give him a chance to be a starter, but he’s also willing to be a backup on a contending club. More than anything, he said, he wants to play for an organization that knows what it wants, rather than for one in a constant state of churn.

“The last few years we’ve had three different coaches, the roster was changing every year. There was never really any consistency,” Len said. “It was like starting over every year. Yeah, stability and consistency will be something I definitely look for.”

Booker wants to play

Devin Booker doesn’t believe his sprained right hand will sideline him the rest of the season. Nor does he want to sit, even though it might assure Phoenix of finishing with the worst record in the league and thus having the most ping-pong balls in the May 15 draft lottery.

“If I feel I’m healthy to play I’m going to play,” said Booker, who didn’t practice Wednesday.

Triano said that as long as it’s up to him, Booker and T.J. Warren (left knee inflammation) will play when they’re able.

“I keep saying to our coaches and our players that I want to play right through the end here,” Triano said. “I think that’s what professionals do. So if they’re healthy and they can come back I want them to come back.”

Triano said he asked Booker to not practice Wednesday so the hand could have a chance to heal.

“Every time it gets hit it sets him back a bit,” Triano said. “He’s tried to practice and warm up before games so now I’ve asked him to stay away so it can’t get bumped.”

Booker said he hoped to play at Cleveland on Friday.

“That’s the plan,” Booker said. “Going against LeBron (James) and Cleveland in Cleveland, you know it will be a fun game.”

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