The San Antonio Spurs have signed center Tyler Zeller for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal includes a non-guaranteed year for the 2020-21 season.

Zeller, who had been a free agent for the entire season after only playing a mere six games in 2018-19, will earn $245,686 for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks. The Spurs will have a cap hit of $183,115 for this signing.

The prospect of his playing days in the league looked all but over before the Spurs picked up the phone and agreed to a deal. The North Carolina product spent his first two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the next three with the Boston Celtics.

Zeller played 66 games in 2017-18 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks before his steep decline in 2018-19.

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San Antonio was looking for reinforcements in the frontcourt, as Jakob Poeltl held the mantle at center, backed up by a hybrid Trey Lyles switching between power forward and center.

Zeller, who averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds for his NBA career, will give them a legitimate 7-footer — one that can hopefully keep LaMarcus Aldridge from spending much time at the position.

The Spurs are 12th in the Western Conference race, a full four games out of the eighth spot occupied by the Memphis Grizzlies. With only eight games remaining in the regular season and a longshot to catch up to the Grizzlies, the Spurs might use this signing for scouting purposes to see if Zeller deserves consideration beyond this season.