JULY 6: The Pelicans have signed Zeller, according to an official announcement from the team.
JULY 2: The Pelicans are signing free agent center Cody Zeller to a one-year, $3.1MM contract, agent Sam Goldfeder tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Zeller just completed his 10th season, so he’ll be receiving the veteran’s minimum for a player with his experience. As our minimum-salary projections for 2023/24 show, he’ll actually be making just under $3.2MM.
The Pelicans chose not to bring back Willy Hernangomez or Jaxson Hayes, so Zeller will help fortify the team’s frontcourt depth. Hernangomez might be headed back to Europe, where he started his pro career, while Hayes is signing a two-year deal with the Lakers.
Zeller, 30, was the fourth overall pick of the 2013 draft after two college seasons at Indiana. He spent his first eight NBA seasons with Charlotte, averaging a combined 8.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG over 467 contests (22.7 MPG).
The 6’11” big man spent the past two seasons with Portland and Miami, respectively. He was a mid-season addition in ’22/23 for the Heat, who went on to make the NBA Finals as the East’s No. 8 seed.
Zeller averaged 6.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 15 regular season games for the Heat (14.5 MPG). He appeared in 21 of the club’s 23 postseason games, though his minutes were reduced to 8.3 per night.
The addition of Zeller means, at least for now, that the Pelicans will be above the ’23/24 luxury tax threshold, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. A cost-cutting move could be in store to dip under the tax line.
Dropping like flies. After Friday and Saturday now we have the guys getting a little more than the veteran minimum. Watch The Warriors wind up with bismack biyombo and hopefully fingers crossed Dario Saric.
ida really liked that Eubanks fella from Por for yall who went for min already to Phx
Cap almost dry and more importantly roster spaces drying up everywhere. The exceptions game should still be (semi) interesting
Silly Silver took the tax payer MLE away from you guys and the Clips so early on (* Theres a better word for silly but….)
GSW coulda scored a nice player on a 1/5 yesterday, there should have been an extended grace period for both teams
Jokic abused him during the finals. It was hilarious watching Zeller try to guard him.
It made me cringe. I didn’t really have a rooting interest in either team. It was just VERY one-sided
It was horrible. Bam couldn’t get a break. When Jokic started to cook Zeller, Spoelstra had to put Bam right back in. Zeller probably sees Jokic in his nightmares.
The real problem is that Bam was clearly unable to guard Jokic … not a 3mn buy out 2nd unit guy.
6,8 Bam playing C
This is the bald white guy that walks into 24 hr fitness to snickers and sneers and walks out king of the court
Always enjoyed his savviness
3rd string C