5 biggest 2016 NBA contract extension mistakes
By Greg Patuto
1. Cody Zeller
Cody Zeller was selected fourth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats –now the Hornets– in the 2013 draft. Fans gathered at a draft party in Charlotte and filled the arena with boos and grunts when Zeller was selected. Well, they better get used to rooting for him because the Hornets signed him to a four-year, $56 million extension.
This one is a complete head scratcher. Zeller is averaging 7.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG over his career and he has never shown signs of being a dominant big man or even an above average one. At 24 years old, he has plenty of time to grow as a player but he better do it sooner then later after signing this extension.
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The Indiana product in his career has been a mediocre defender, a below-average scorer and a player who fans can give or take. If you take a look at the Hornets’ roster, they are full of players who dominated college basketball but just didn’t seem to work out in the NBA. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Frank Kaminsky, Kemba Walker, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeremy Lamb are all examples. Walker is the only one who turned out as a good NBA player but he is still nothing spectacular.
Zeller is now added to that list. The Hornets think he has what it takes to be a very good NBA big man. When you draft a guy fourth overall, you can’t give up on him so soon — and they haven’t. But they gave him money that he should have never got and this makes his contract the biggest mistake so far of the NBA season.