Tyler Zeller Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Dedmon, Stephenson, Iguodala, Portis

April 7th, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Heat make the anticipated Dewayne Dedmon signing official, his contract will cover the rest of the season rather than just 10 days, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami opted for a longer deal, according to Jackson, because it doesn’t expect anyone better to become available on the buyout market. Players who have appeared in at least one NBA game this season must be waived by Friday to be eligible for the postseason with their new team.

The Heat were looking for a big man who would accept not playing every game, which ruled out DeMarcus Cousins, who has since joined the Clippers on a 10-day deal. Jackson lists Ian Mahinmi, Thon Maker, Dewan Hernandez, Skal Labissiere, Tyler Zeller, Kyle Alexander, Trey Mourning, Kyle O’Quinn, Justin Patton and Anthony Tolliver as some of the names Miami considered before reaching an agreement with Dedmon.

In 2019, Dedmon signed a three-year, $40MM contract with the Kings, but he quickly lost his job as starting center. Poor three-point shooting is a major reason that Sacramento soured on him, Jackson adds, and he was eventually traded to the Hawks and then the Pistons, who released him in November.

The Heat face a deadline to add a 14th player to their roster by Thursday. If Dedmon signs then, his contract will carry a cap hit in the neighborhood of $433K. Miami would be about $314K below the tax line and could add a 15th player later this season without going into luxury tax territory.

There’s more on the Heat, all from Jackson:

As Miami considered roster additions, the organization was made aware that Lance Stephenson and Greg Monroe are both hoping to return to the NBA. The Heat got good reports on Stephenson, but they don’t need another wing player and they were looking for more immediate help than Monroe was likely to provide.
Some Grizzlies players are still upset about Andre Iguodala‘s decision to remain inactive until Memphis found somewhere to trade him last season. Jackson notes that several Grizzlies felt they had something to prove when they faced Iguodala Monday night.
Jackson proposes Bucks forward Bobby Portis as a potential free agent target for Miami this summer. Portis has a $3.8MM player option for next season that he’s expected to decline, and Jackson suggests he could get a $10MM mid-level exception offer as the start of a multiyear deal.

Spurs Waive Cameron Reynolds, Tyler Zeller

December 19th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs trimmed their roster by waiving forward Cameron Reynolds and center Tyler Zeller, the team announced on its website.

Reynolds, 25, signed an Exhibit 10 contract late last month and appeared in one preseason game, scoring six points in two minutes. Reynolds got into 19 games last season as a rookie with the Timberwolves.

The 30-year-old Zeller signed with the Spurs before the restart and appeared in two games in Orlando, playing four total minutes. His contract included a non-guaranteed second season, so San Antonio won’t owe him any money. Zeller has played for seven teams in eight NBA seasons.

The Spurs’ roster is now down to 17 players, with both two-way slots filled.

London Perrantes, who was signed on Friday, will likely be cut today as well, since he was presumably only signed for G League purposes. However, the team didn’t announce his signing and may not announce his release either. Assuming he’s cut, San Antonio will start the season with an open spot on its 15-man roster.

Spurs Sign Tyler Zeller

June 24th, 2020 at 5:40pm CST by Luke Adams

5:40pm: Zeller has officially signed with the Spurs, the team announced in a press release.

12:49pm: Zeller’s new deal will include a non-guaranteed second year for 2020/21, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

11:36am: The Spurs have reached an agreement to sign free agent center Tyler Zeller for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Zeller, 30, has appeared in more than 400 career regular season NBA games, but hasn’t seen much action in recent years. He played just six total games for the Hawks and Grizzlies in 2018/19 and hasn’t been on a roster this season since being waived by the Nuggets in October.

In his last full season, Zeller averaged 6.7 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 66 games (16.8 MPG) for the Nets and Bucks in ’17/18.

The Spurs had been in need of some frontcourt depth after losing LaMarcus Aldridge to a shoulder injury that will sideline him for the rest of the 2019/20 season. The club still has some options up front, including Jakob Poeltl and Trey Lyles, but could end up using Zeller as insurance off the bench.

The Spurs have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding roster move will be required to sign Zeller. Assuming he inks a minimum-salary deal, as expected, the veteran big man will earn $245,686, with San Antonio taking on a $183,115 cap hit.

Nuggets Waive Zeller, Convert Dozier To Two-Way Deal

October 18th, 2019 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have made roster moves with a pair of players on non-guaranteed contracts, announcing today (via Twitter) that center Tyler Zeller has been waived, while guard PJ Dozier‘s contract has been converted into a two-way deal.

Zeller – a former first-round pick who has spent time with the Cavaliers, Celtics, Nets, Bucks, Hawks, and Grizzlies – provided Denver with an extra body in training camp, but was always a long shot to make the regular season roster. The Nuggets are expected to enter the season with an open spot on the 15-man squad, since their team salary is dangerously close to the luxury-tax line.

As for Dozier, his path to a two-way contract opened up when the Nuggets waived Tyler Cook earlier this week. Nick Kosmider of The Athletic noted at the time that Dozier would likely slide into that newly-opened two-way slot after an impressive training camp.

Denver now has 14 players on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, so the team’s roster is ready for the regular season. As one of two NBA clubs without their own G League affiliate, the Nuggets don’t need to make any additional roster moves to secure players’ NBAGL rights.

Nuggets Sign Tyler Zeller

September 19th, 2019 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have signed free agent center Tyler Zeller to their roster for training camp, tweets Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports.

Zeller, 29, was out of the league for most of the 2018/19 campaign, but signed a 10-day contract with Atlanta in March, then joined the Grizzlies for the final week of the regular season. In total, he appeared in six games for the two teams, averaging 7.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 15.5 minutes per contest.

The former first-round pick has spent seven total seasons in the NBA, having also appeared in regular season games for the Celtics, Cavaliers, Nets, and Bucks.

The Nuggets are carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so Zeller could theoretically have a chance to earn the final spot on the team’s regular season roster as a third center behind Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee. However, Denver is precariously close to the luxury tax line and may simply prefer to keep that roster spot open.

With Zeller under contract, the Nuggets now have 18 players on their roster. In addition to the 14 players with guaranteed salaries, Denver is carrying Tyler Cook and Bol Bol on two-way deals and PJ Dozier and Zeller on non-guaranteed contracts.

Grizzlies Sign Tyler Zeller

April 5th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

9:53am: The Grizzlies have made it official, announcing Zeller’s signing in a press release.

8:44am: The Grizzlies are signing veteran center Tyler Zeller for the rest of the season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The release of shooting guard Dusty Hannahs created the roster spot necessary to add Zeller.

Zeller, 29, has logged 408 career NBA games over the course of seven seasons, but has spent most of the 2018/19 campaign as a free agent. After being waived by the Bucks in the preseason, the big man’s only NBA action this season came in March when he signed a 10-day contract with Atlanta and appeared briefly in two games for the Hawks.

The Grizzlies had signed Hannahs via a hardship exception and continue to qualify for that exception because they have four players who have missed at least three consecutive games and remain sidelined. As such, Zeller will become Memphis’ 16th man. And, as Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian observes (via Twitter), once Zeller plays, the Grizzlies will tie an NBA record by using their 28th player this season.

While the decision to replace a young developmental player with a veteran for the final few days of the season may appear odd for a lottery-bound team, both of the Grizzlies’ centers are currently on the shelf — Jonas Valanciunas is out for the season with an ankle injury, while Joakim Noah continues to be listed as day-to-day with a knee injury.

Plus, despite their place in the standings, the Grizzlies are still very focused on winning games to finish the season. The team would like to make sure its top-eight protected 2018 first-round pick conveys to Boston this year so it doesn’t carry over to the 2020 draft. Currently, the Grizzlies are tied for sixth in the reverse standings at 31-47, but the Mavericks (31-47), Wizards (32-47), and Pelicans (32-47) are bunched up with them, creating a path out of the lottery’s top eight if they can finish strong.

Assuming it’s finalized today, Zeller’s rest-of-season contract will carry a modest cap hit of $51,725, keeping Memphis out of tax territory.

Tyler Zeller Signs 10-Day Deal With Hawks

March 8th, 2019 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 8: The signing is official, the Hawks announced in an email.

MARCH 7: The Hawks have reached an agreement with Tyler Zeller and will sign the free agent center to a 10-day contract, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the deal is expected to be finalized on Friday.

Zeller, 29, spent six seasons in the NBA after being drafted 17th overall in 2012, but was waived by the Bucks in October and had yet to catch on with a new team. In 66 total games last season for Brooklyn and Milwaukee, the veteran seven-footer recorded 6.7 PPG and 4.6 RPG with a career-high .560 FG% in 16.8 minutes per contest.

Zeller will provide the Hawks with some added frontcourt depth at a time when the team is dealing with a handful of injuries to its big men. Omari Spellman has been ruled out for most or all of March with an ankle injury, Miles Plumlee hasn’t played since December due to a knee issue, and Dewayne Dedmon (knee) and Alex Poythress (ankle) are also dealing with nagging health problems.

The Hawks have been using their last two roster spots recently to audition players on 10-day deals. Jordan Sibert was signed to a single 10-day contract and hasn’t been brought back, while B.J. Johnson is currently on a 10-day pact of his own that runs through Sunday. With Zeller and Johnson under contract, Atlanta will have a full roster, but the team could open up two spots when those deals expire.

Zeller’s 10-day contract will carry a cap hit of approximately $85K for the Hawks.

And-Ones: Team USA, Jefferson, Jennings, Bass

November 22nd, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With another round of World Cup qualifiers scheduled to begin next week, USA Basketball has officially announced its latest 12-man roster for games against Argentina (November 29) and Uruguay (December 2). The roster is made up primarily of G League players, though NBA free agents Tyler Zeller, Jarnell Stokes, and Eric Moreland are also on the squad. Other former NBA players on the roster include Chasson Randle, DeAndre Liggins, and John Jenkins.

With one more qualifying window scheduled for February after next week’s set of games, Team USA is in prime position to secure a spot in the 2019 World Cup. Team USA currently has a 7-1 record in qualifying contests, which puts the club in a tie with Argentina for first place in Group E. Puerto Rico and Uruguay are tied for third at 5-3. The top three teams in the group will earn spots in the World Cup, and the fourth-place team will have a chance to qualify as well.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world…

With some help from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, longtime NBA forward Richard Jefferson published a piece on ESPN.com this week, sharing some of his memories from his NBA career and discussing his move into broadcasting.
After becoming a free agent this week, veteran guard Brandon Jennings may take the G League route as he tries to work his way back into the NBA, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. However, Smith notes that nothing’s official yet.
Smith also checks in a pair of former NBA forward playing in China, reporting (via Twitter) that Brandon Bass is hoping to return to the NBA later in 2018/19, once the Chinese Basketball Association season ends. Jared Sullinger is also putting up huge numbers in China and is in good shape, according to Smith, who tweets that the former Celtic may be ready for another shot in the NBA.
Former Trail Blazers guard Tim Quarterman signed this week with Israeli team Ironi Nahariya, per his agency Prostep Sports (Twitter link). Quarterman was waived by the Rockets this past April.

Bucks Waive Tyler Zeller

October 13th, 2018 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have waived veteran center Tyler Zeller, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The move leaves Milwaukee one cut shy of reaching the regular season roster limit.

Zeller, the 27th overall pick in the 2012 draft, began his career with two years in Cleveland before spending three seasons in Boston. In 2017/18, he appeared in 66 games for the Nets and Bucks, recording overall averages of 6.7 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 16.8 minutes per contest.

The contract Zeller signed in the summer of 2017 was a two-year deal, but the second year was non-guaranteed, so his hold on a roster spot in Milwaukee was always precarious. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Monday.

With one more cut still to come, Tim Frazier and Christian Wood appear to be vying for the Bucks’ final roster spot.

Bucks Notes: Wood, Muhammad, Budenholzer, New Arena

September 29th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Christian Wood appears to have the advantage in the battle for the Bucks’ final roster spot based on his performance in today’s intrasquad scrimmage, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team entered training camp with 14 guaranteed contracts and four players competing for one position: Wood, Shabazz Muhammad, Tim Frazier and Tyler Zeller.

Wood, who signed with the Bucks last week, stood out today with several offensive rebounds, a few 3-pointers and a steady performance on defense. He has been trying to earn an NBA job since leaving Nevada-Las Vegas in 2015, but has played in just 30 combined games with the Sixers and Hornets.

Muhammad, who came to Milwaukee in March after being waived by the Timberwolves, was also impressive enough to get noticed by Khris Middleton.

“C-Wood and Bazz, they’re competing for a roster spot and you could tell by the way they played,” Middleton said. “They were everywhere.”

There’s more Bucks news to pass along, all courtesy of Velazquez:

New coach Mike Budenholzer’s philosophy was on display in the scrimmage as even the centers were taking a healthy number of 3-pointers. Brook Lopez made three from long distance in a 4 1/2-minute stretch and Wood impressed with his outside marksmanship as well. Even John Henson, who has taken just 13 shots from 3-point range in his career, was experimenting with them. “We’re encouraging a lot of spacing, guys having a lot of confidence,” Budenholzer said. “It felt like we shot a ton of them.”
The Bucks are hoping to use their bench more than in past seasons, and today’s action suggests there are a lot of players who can contribute. Ersan Ilyasova and Pat Connaughton, who both signed as free agents over the summer, provide two more outside shooting threats. Rookie Donte DiVincenzo looked promising and holdovers Tony Snell, Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker seemed more comfortable in Budenholzer’s new system.
The scrimmage was the first event at the Bucks’ new Fiserv Forum, and the noise level was noticeable, even though the building was only partially filled. Players are hoping the new arena will provide a greater homecourt advantage than the old Bradley Center.