The Los Angeles Lakers kick off their playoff run on Saturday as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. After kicking into a new gear after the trade deadline, the Lakers finished the Western Conference as the third-seed, clinching home-court advantage for at least the first round.
With only a few days left until their postseason opener, the Lakers announced their 15-man playoff roster, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha. There is one glaring mistake among the group the Lakers are starting their title chase with.
The Lakers' 15-man playoff roster:
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 15, 2025
Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves
Rui Hachimura
LeBron James
Jaxson Hayes
Dorian Finney-Smith
Gabe Vincent
Jarred Vanderbilt
Jordan Goodwin
Dalton Knecht
Shake Milton
Markieff Morris
Maxi Kleber
Bronny James Jr.
Alex Len
Inclusion of Alex Len in Lakers' Playoff Roster is a Big Mistake
Alex Len somehow found a place among 15 players despite his poor performance since joining the Lakers after the trade deadline. Some Lakers fans were hoping for the inclusion of Christian Koloko or Trey Jemison instead of the disappointing veteran.
The Lakers had to make a decision on Koloko and Jemison, who are on two-way contracts with the team. Players on two-way deals have to get converted to a standard contract to be allowed to participate in the NBA playoffs. The Lakers would have had to release Len to make room for one of Koloko and Jemison.
Head coach JJ Redick and GM Rob Pelinka surprisingly decided against this move. Despite this decision, it's hard to see Len carving out a role for himself in the playoffs.
In his last appearance with the team, Len fouled out in 14 minutes, finishing the game with four points, two rebounds, one assist, and three turnovers in the regular season finale. The Lakers were -15 in his minutes.
The Lakers have been a whopping 31.8 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor than off, per Cleaning the Glass.
While Len is more experienced than Koloko and Jemison, he also has a lower upside. You know what you are getting with Len, and it's not good. Instead of cutting Len before the season and going with one of Koloko or Jemison or signing an external free agent, the Lakers decided to essentially burn a roster spot.
Considering the fact that the back end of LA's roster already has a few wasted spots in Bronny James, Markieff Morris, Maxi Kleber, and Shake Milton, let's hope this doesn't come back to bite them.