Cody Zeller Projects as Productive Bargain for Blazers

Cody Zeller has signed a one-year deal with the Blazers, per ESPN. Is this a good deal for Portland?

Jack Winter

Cody Zeller Projects as Productive Bargain for Blazers
Cody Zeller Projects as Productive Bargain for Blazers /

The Trail Blazers have signed free agent big man Cody Zeller to a one-year contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The terms of Zeller's deal weren't immediately available, though the minimum seemed very unlikely. The question was whether the 28-year-old is coming to Portland on the full taxpayer's mid-level exception of $5.9 million or merely a portion of it.

The initial bet here was that Zeller, an organizational pillar and fan favorite with the Charlotte Hornets since being selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2013 draft, wouldn't have accepted much less than the entire mini mid-level. He was typically efficient around the rim and rock-solid on defense last season, posting a +5.3 net rating, per Cleaning the Glass—yet another campaign of objectively positive on-off impact.

Gorgui Dieng, whose career seemed nearly in jeopardy before a bounceback 2020-21, inked a $4 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The assumption was that the market valued Zeller more highly.

Wrong.

Should the intel of The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress prove true, Zeller's signing will be quite the boon for Portland. Not only is he a relative bargain at the veteran's minimum, but Portland still has access to the entire mini mid-level after signing him.

Zeller averaged 9.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.9 minutes per game last season with the Hornets, splitting time between the bench and starting lineup at center. He missed a third of the season with a broken left hand, and was similarly constrained in 2019-20 by a knee injury. Zeller hasn't appeared in more than 60 games since 2016-17.

Portland isn't asking Zeller to be a starter, or even guaranteeing him every single minute behind Jusuf Nurkic. The Blazers are bound to roll out small-ball lineups on a semi-regular basis under Chauncey Billups. 

When Zeller is on the court, he essentially guarantees the Blazers a functional, if limited, two-way presence at the 5. 

He's an adept screener, underrated dive man, quick decision-maker and has far more utility on defense than the eye test and raw box score numbers suggest. Zeller is rarely out of rotation defensively, with the speed to recover from the arc to the rim in pick-and-roll siutations. He'll surprise with a few highlights in transition every now and then, too. 

Zeller doesn't offer dynamic scheme versatility on either end, and will no doubt be sidelined by injury at some point next season. But considering his time-honored on-court influence and that inferior big men signed for higher prices elsewhere, Zeller's addition is still a major win for the Blazers.

READ MORE: Forecasting Futures of Blazers' Incumbent Free Agents

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Jack Winter
JACK WINTER

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