Maccabi Tel Aviv signing former Cavalier Ante Zizic is no real loss

Ante Zizic has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv after spending the last few seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers knew Ante Zizic wasn’t coming back for the 2020 season and now that the former first-round pick has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, his departure has been secured. Zizic joins former Cavaliers player and the first-ever Israeli born player to be selected in the first round, Omri Caspi. He’s also going to be playing with former NBA player Quincy Acy and Amare Stoudamire. Assuming Stoudamire returns for another season.

Despite only being 23, Zizic became frustrated as the Cavaliers brought in more and more big men to play under the basket. Guys like Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr., and Andre Drummond all got minutes ahead of Zizic causing his discontent. The team acquired Nance and Drummond in recent years, after Zizic had been on the team and that didn’t sit well with the Croatian-born center.

Zizic came over to the Cavs originally in the Kyrie Irving trade, which saw the Cavs get Zizic, Jae Crowder, Isiah Thomas, and a first-round pick that became Collin Sexton for Kyrie Irving. Zizic spent time bouncing from Cleveland to their G-League affiliate the Canton Charge throughout his rookie year. While he eventually caught on with the main club, the team’s constant additions throughout the years would see Zizic grow bored and upset with his position in the team.

While Zizic may have found more playing time in 2020-2021 with the fate of Thompson’s contract up for debate, he made a move that should see him get a lot of playing time and may even improve his ability to come back to the NBA on a big deal like some others have done. Namely Josh Childress.

Childress went to the Euroleague in 2008 and signed a massive deal with Olympiacos Piraeus. When Childress returned to the NBA a few years later, he signed a five year deal with the Phoenix Suns.

The ironic thing about Zizic’s signing with Tel Aviv is that they currently hold the Euro League rights to potential Cavalier draft pick, Deni Avdija. A projected top-five pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.