Charlotte Hornets agree to sign Cody Zeller to $56 million extension

The Charlotte Hornets and Cody Zeller agreed on a new contract on Monday, as the team inked the 24-year-old to a four-year, $56 million extension.

Back in 2013, the then-Charlotte Bobcats selected Cody Zeller with the fourth overall selection in the NBA draft. Since then, Zeller has been a nice role player for Charlotte, coming off the bench for the most part. He was a second-team All-Rookie selection in 2014, and has made strides during his first few seasons in the league.

Zeller, who is in the fourth and final season of his rookie deal, has averaged a little over seven points per game during his career. This season, Zeller has already had to fill in for starting center Roy Hibbert, who has been battling knee pain. The Hornets are already weak up front, so locking up Zeller is a nice step in the right direction.

On Monday, league sources told The Vertical that a new deal had been agreed upon.

Had he not signed the deal, Zeller would have been able to sign an offer sheet with another team, and Charlotte would have the option to match.

The Hornets have been busy in recent days, as they also exercised the third-year option on Frank Kaminsky’s deal. Like Zeller, Kaminsky was a first round selection of the Hornets, and has helped the team bolster their depth up front.

Prior to the 2016 regular season, Zeller missed the entire preseason with a knee issue. He was able to get healthy in time for the season opener, and scored 15 points off the bench in only 14 minutes of work. Last season, Zeller started a career-high 60 games, but with the addition of Hibbert, he could serve as one of the better big men off the bench for the Hornets this season.

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Zeller comes from a basketball family, as both of his brothers are (or were) NBA players. Tyler is currently a center for the Celtics, while his other brother, Luke used to play for the Suns.