Phoenix Suns' Alex Len has insisted that he is happy with the arrival of veteran centre Tyson Chandler, despite the threat that he poses to his position in the team.

Len, who was drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, was expected to be unsettled by the arrival of Chandler, who signed a four-year, $52m (£33m) deal with the Suns earlier this summer.

However, the 22-year-old has claimed that the opposite is true, and that he views Chandler as someone that he can learn from and use as a mentor to help him elevate his game.

Len told ESPN: "Tyson's a great leader, and that is something we needed. We lacked a veteran last year.

"Now, we finally have one - somebody in the locker room and on the court who everybody can look up to. I think it's great for the team.

"I'm excited just to learn from him. He said he wants to be my mentor and I'm really excited about it. I feel like a rookie still, so he can help."

Len averaged 6.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as the Suns' primary starting centre last season.