AUGUST 4: The Trail Blazers have issued a press release formally announcing the signing of Zeller. Because it’s a one-year, minimum-salary contract, it can be completed during the free agency moratorium.
AUGUST 2: Free agent center Cody Zeller has agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. It’ll be a minimum-salary contract, reports Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (via Twitter).
Zeller has spent his entire eight-year career with the Hornets. He averaged 9.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.8 APG in 20.9 MPG last season, though he only appeared in 48 games due to a hand fracture suffered during the season opener.
Zeller admitted prior to free agency he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I think the biggest thing is just being somewhere where I’m valued. I just want to win,” Zeller said.
Zeller will presumably back up Jusuf Nurkic, unless Portland makes some other moves.
Why don’t they have Kanter. Don’t get it.
Once again Neil Olshey would rather go after a player that is a downgrade then the player who had given everything to the Blazers in his 2 stints on the team.
Enes Kanter signed with Boston the team that traded him back to Portland during the 2019-20 season
I would say he gives them the defense they’ve needed there, but Nurkic has actually been good there, outside of certain things. I think this may also be a precursor to moving Nurkic, and then they need to add a pick and roll defending, rim protecting bug, and probably a big that can space the floor for them a little more. One thing it does, if they move Nurkic, is replace him with someone that doesmt need the ball in his hands, and still does a lot of the playmaking things Nurkic did
Thought Charlotte should have kept him, but if they were going to lose him, they replaced him with someone comparable in some ways, although with less of a jumpshot
Zeller is a downgrade from Enes Kanter who averages more points & more Rebounds than Zeller.
Don’t expect Zeller to play more defense than Kanter who was solid in the middle & all Zeller does is another outside player.
Zeller is exponentially better than Kanter defensively, and isnt a blackhole with the ball
Why is this a precursor to moving Nurkic, esp if Nurkic’s replacement is expected to do what he does, and Nurkic does it for not much?
You’re just dreaming of a perfect fill-in-the-blanks player. Nurkic plus everything he’s not. Not many of those around.
With Nurk being the only real Center on the Blazers Roster he’s not going anywhere
Only reason I bring it up is the things Nurkic has been saying, and Portland’s need for a 4 to replace Melo, besides Nassir Little, and to go with their newfound depth on the wing, as well as defense at the guard spot that can play with Lillard/CJ…also, as I said, there are some benefits in him not taking as many possessions, although that could be solved by just using Nurkic as a primary option in the 2nd unit, especially now that Melo is gone. That would be especially helpful for them in the half court, which has been an issue in the past
Olshey, doing work.
Zeller, too good (or at least too much better than his brothers), too soon. He projected out the draft as being on the short road to being a new age 4 (faster, quicker K Love), mocked 1st overall during his FR year. He’s done nothing, except smile and lose quickness and hair. He’s had a let’s not and say we did career, and he seems fine with it. Fair enough.
I also remember the hype around the big handsome. We all knew from the get-go he was never going to meet those expectations. He’s fine.
I swear he could run well and willingly (for a center), but that disappeared. I argued with el don/ cesc but the guys he liked did not pan out for CHA either. Maybe the problem was with CHA, and he will buck up. IDK but I did want him traded to find out. So I’m not complaining. Lillard might like someone he can work with and not just boss.
More of the same out of Olshey. Get you no where acquisitions. When is enough of this nonsense enough. Blazers will go nowhere till Olshey is FIRED! Common Jody Allen get a clue before you loose Dame, your on the clock, Dame time is running out!
Now if you want Jody Allen to get a clue you should know that when Paul was still alive she said that the Portland Trailblazers were a waste of her Brother’s money & that once she got control of the team she would sell it immediately.
OH YEAH Jody Allen still doesn’t have full control of her Brother’s Estate & that’s why she hasn’t put the team up for sale yet & it could take a few more years to settle Paul’s Estate with everything he had his money wrapped up in.
The signing of Zeller does not make the Blazers better in fact he averages less points less rebounds than the player he is replacing Enes Kanter who returned to Boston.
Neil Olshey so far has not improved the Blazers team & the 2 big players Olshey brought into the Blazers fold last season Robert Covington & Derrick Jones Jr was busts since they were touted as great defensive players & the Blazers were still one of the worst defensive teams in the 2020-21 season.
Neil Olshey once again proving that he can’t build a winner he didn’t build a winner with the LA Clippers when he was head of that team & so far he hasn’t built a winner in Portland after 9 years on the job.
Neil Olshey should have been shown the door at the same time Terry Stotts was shown the door
Good info.
I have belittled Olshey often but I am pleased he went after CodyZ… mostly perhaps for Zeller’s sake, one of the few Indiana native big men who did not drift away to irrelevancy. Though as DXC said, he fit that description eventually/so far anyway.
Zeller is a downgrade to that of Kanter just look at the numbers Zeller average’s less in points & in rebounds than Kanter
Counting stats arent as important as you think…