Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 players not likely to return in 2020-21
3. Ante Zizic
There has been a logjam at center for the Cavs ever since they dealt for Drummond in February. While Thompson’s play has been worth monitoring since then, Ante Zizic virtually disappeared during that same stretch.
During his third season in Cleveland, everything for Zizic has fallen off a cliff. He’s averaging just 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, playing in just 10.0 minutes per contest. While he made starts in each of his first two seasons with the team, he has failed to do so a single time in 2019-20.
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A bout with vertigo-like symptoms didn’t help matters for the Croatian. It kept the center out for about a month and Zizic only managed to play in six games between the ailment and the pandemic pause. In his last game of the season (so far), Zizic played in just four minutes in a win over the Denver Nuggets, missing one shot attempt and failing to record a single other counting stat.
Zizic saw his 2020-21 team option declined by the Cavaliers before the season, a slight surprise after he showed signs of development during the 2018-19 season. With the team’s belief in his future wavering, Zizic will see his young career continue elsewhere in 2020-21.