2017 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Tyler Zeller: 2 years, $3.6 million (Brooklyn Nets)
Free agent center Tyler Zeller is finalizing a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 11, 2017
Tyler Zeller is a serviceable NBA player, and for a Brooklyn Nets team that’s barely beginning to scrape together talent, this two-year deal worth the veteran minimum certainly fits the bill.
On a contender like the Boston Celtics, Zeller was never going to fill anything more than spot duty, averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in just 10.3 minutes per game last season — the lowest numbers of his career, due in no small part to the arrival of Al Horford.
However, Zeller has proven himself as a capable backup big in the past, and in his first season in Boston in 2014-15, he averaged a career-high 10.2 points and 5.7 boards per game on 54.9 percent shooting. The Nets will be hoping he can bring similar production off the bench while competing with Timofey Mozgov and rookie Jarrett Allen for minutes.
Bourguet Grade: C+