Newly paid Zeller leads Hornets vs. winless 76ers

Cody Zeller is so excited to be part of the Charlotte Hornets' continuity that he said he would play for free.

"You know, $56 million is crazy -- I would play this game for free," the center told reporters Tuesday. "This is way more money than I would spend in three lifetimes."

Zeller's extension begins next season, but he will play his first game since getting the new deal when the Hornets host the winless Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Zeller was the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, which has been regarded as one of the weaker drafts in recent history, and he was one of just eight picks from that draft to receive extensions.

"We felt it was important to get him locked up to an extension rather than have him be a restricted free agent next summer," Hornets GM Rich Cho said. "With the cap next summer along with Cody's value around the league as a young, versatile athletic big, we felt he would have been a target for a number of teams."

Zeller's new contract marked the third straight year Charlotte has signed one of its players before his rookie contract was completed. Two years ago, the Hornets signed Kemba Walker, and last year it was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeremy Lamb.

Last year, Zeller started 60 games and averaged career bests of 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting a career-best 52.9 percent.

In the early going this season, he is averaging 10.7 points while shooting 61.1 percent (11 of 18) and splitting time in the middle with Roy Hibbert.

Zeller might see more time at center Wednesday in place of Hibbert, who did not play Saturday during a 104-98 loss to Boston and has not practiced since due to a knee injury.

Other than Hibbert's injury and Lamb's strained left hamstring, things have gone decently for the Hornets -- despite Saturday's loss when Walker had 29 points but the defense gave up 15 3-pointers.

"They kind of got going there in the second half," Zeller said. "When they are rolling, when they are getting easy buckets, easy jumpers, it's going to be tough for us to win."

In the previous two seasons, it was difficult for Philadelphia to get its first win. Two years ago, the 76ers lost their first 17 games; last year they dropped their first 18 contests.

Philadelphia appeared to be on its way to its first win Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. Instead, Philadelphia blew an 18-point, first-half lead and was handed a 103-101 loss to fall to 0-3.

"I'm sorry for them," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "We felt like we've been putting in the work to earn a win."

Hollis Thompson scored 22 points and Dario Saric added 21. Joel Embiid contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds but also made two costly turnovers in the final minute, getting called for traveling with 38.9 seconds left and losing his dribble with 5.7 seconds to go.

"He's got the ball and you could see that it's just raw to him at the moment," Brown said. "But I would do it again, try to put him in position where he could help us get a win."

Embiid will not have the opportunity to deliver clutch plays Wednesday if Philadelphia is in a close game. He will be rested on the second night of a back-to-back since the 22-year-old is still coming back after two years of rehabilitating a broken right foot.

Jahlil Okafor also is being treated cautiously after he had left knee surgery. He did not play Tuesday and is expected to suit up Wednesday.

Ersan Ilyasova could make his debut Wednesday after being obtained from Oklahoma City along with a protected first-round pick for Jerami Grant. Ilysova will be joining his fourth team in the last two years after spending his first seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.

He is a career 36.9 percent shooter from 3-point range and joins a team that has shot 25.6 percent from behind the arc so far.

Charlotte has won the last five meetings and six straight over the Sixers at home. On April 1, Walker had his first career double-double in points (27) and rebounds (11) in a 100-91 home win.