Given all the noise the Cleveland Cavaliers made at the trade deadline after trading away almost half of their team, a lot of people did not notice quieter moves from other teams. One of them was Tyler Zeller's trade to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets received Rashad Vaugh and a protected 2018 second-round pick. While the trade may appear irrelevant – Zeller will probably help the Bucks only as a backup big man – but it was far from irrelevant for the Bucks' front office. According to Anthony Puccio from SB Nation, Nets General Manager Sean Marks said that the Bucks wanted Tyler Zeller “really bad.”
Zeller was originally drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 17th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. One day later, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played two seasons with them. Zeller then signed a multi-year deal with the Boston Celtics and played there for three years. Last offseason, he was waived by the Celtics but signed with the Nets two months afterward. In 42 games this season (including 33 starts), Zeller averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from behind the three-point arc in 16.7 minutes per game.
At first glance, the move does not make much sense for either side. The Bucks get Tyler Zeller, who will have to share frontcourt minutes with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, John Henson, and Thon Maker. Plus, they gave up a second-round pick. The Nets add Vaugh to an already stacked backcourt consisting of D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Allen Crabbe, Joe Harris, and Caris LeVert, and Jeremy Lin. Still, this should somehow benefit both front offices one way or another.
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