3 Veteran Centers the Golden State Warriors could look at on a 10-day contract

Veteran centers available for the Golden State Warriors a 10-day contract: Cody Zeller

Like Favors and Howard, perhaps Zeller hasn’t done enough to revolutionize his game in the modern era. He was a major prospect coming into the league after being taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft.

Unfortunately Zeller has never been able to live up to that billing, yet he’s still built a solid career nonetheless. After eight years in Charlotte, Zeller played as backup to Jusuf Nurkic for the Portland Trail Blazers early last season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13 minutes per game.

But after just 27 games for Portland, Zeller was waived to make room for incoming players from the C.J McCollum trade to New Orleans. He signed a training camp deal with the Utah Jazz but was waived before the start of this season.

Zeller had his best year in 2019-20 where he averaged 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.1 minutes per game. Charlotte’s lack of success has limited his postseason experience, with Zeller appearing in just 11 playoff games. That’s sure to be a consideration if the Warriors look at him or any of these other center options.

The 30-year-old is still eyeing an NBA return, with reports he worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers last week. At 6’11” and 240lbs, Zeller has the frame to provide a strong paint presence in limited minutes.

Again, it’s a Looney-type player who prioritizes defense, rebounding and setting screens for the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. However, Looney does make it look alot simpler than what the role suggests, and Golden State need to evaluate whether any of these options would actually be worthwhile.