Ante Zizic

Zizic took the floor for just 32 games as a rookie in 2017-18 after being dealt to the Cavaliers from the Celtics in the Kyrie Irving trade. Considering the lack of games played and meager per game average of 6.7 minutes, he was unsurprisingly avoidable in all Fantasy formats. He did, however, show some upside in 18 G-League games, averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. While LeBron James is no longer on the roster, the Cavaliers do bring back Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, so Zizic will still struggle to get more than just a few spot minutes most nights. Look for him to spend another season in a developmental capacity and he could see some action in the G-League as well.

Draft-and-stash pick Zizic was selected by the Celtics with the 23rd overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, spending last season developing overseas with a Turkish club in high-level Euroleague. He averaged 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds across 21.9 minutes there and was fully expected to come Stateside and join the Celtics for the upcoming season. However, with Kyrie Irving being traded to Boston, Zizic was part of the haul brought back to Cleveland, including Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. Zizic showed some promise during seven Summer League starts at center, as he posted 8.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Zizic’s scoring opportunities, when on the floor, will come from put backs and hustle plays. If he sees the court, it will be for rim protection and rebounding. The 6-11 center also averaged 1.1 blocks in Utah and Las Vegas, an encouraging sign for his development. Still, with Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love and Channing Frye all expected to get minutes at center, Zizic could have a tough time finding a significant role during his rookie season. It seems more realistic that he'll spend a bunch of time in the G-League if he ultimately makes the Cavaliers' regular-season roster, keeping him off the Fantasy radar.

Zizic was the second of the Celtics' draft-and-stash picks in the 2016 NBA Draft, with the 6-foot-11 center from Croatia coming off the board at No. 23 overall. At 19 years old, Zizic could very well remain overseas for multiple years, but for a team with few core frontcourt players on the NBA roster beyond Al Horford, he makes for a justifiable project. Despite his youth, Zizic has already made waves in the Adriatic League. Suiting up this past season for Cibona Zagreb, Zizic produced averages of 13.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25.7 minutes per game while shooting 63.9 percent from the field and 70 percent from the charity stripe. To put that production in perspective, Nikola Jokic, who emerged as one of the top rookies in the league last season with the Nuggets, averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game as a 19-year-old in the Adriatic League. Jokic has a three-point shooting element to his game that Zizic doesn't, but needless to say, Zizic has the look of someone who could carve out a career in the NBA. Many talent evaluators believe that Zizic has already tapped into most of his potential, and since a lot of his offensive output has stemmed from his high effort and relentless motor, there's some concern that he'll have a much more difficult time scoring when he faces off against the better athletes at the NBA level. A backup role might ultimately be in the offing for Zizic when he matriculates to North America, but he can probably be relied upon to provide a good change of pace when a starter requires rest.