:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34955123/20140212_gav_al8_237.0.jpg)
Former Pitt center Talib Zanna was not selected in Thursday's NBA Draft, but as expected, he'll still get his shot at playing in the league.
Per Zanna's trainer Coach Koran Godwin of JumpStart Hoops, Zanna will be suiting up for the Philadelphia 76ers for their summer league team in the Orlando Summer League, which begins play on July 5th and runs through the 11th. As anticipated, Zanna had several offers to join various teams.
The Sixers make for a good landing spot for Zanna. They have several young talented big men on board, but many not expected to play for the team right away, including draft picks Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.
I touched on this in the past, but it's often better to be an undrafted free agent than it is to be taken late in the second round of the Draft. As a free agent, a player has his choice of teams whereas a drafted player is tied down to a certain destination - whether it's a good opportunity or not. That might be okay if money were guaranteed as it is in the first round, but since it's not, players aren't even 100% certain they'll receive a contract if signed in the second round.
As a senior for Pitt, Zanna averaged 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season, racking up numerous double doubles.
We'll see if Zanna is able to stick in Philly. Even if he doesn't, however, the chance remains that he could still try to latch on with another team.
Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.
