Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier will get a chance to play together again.
One of the most decorated players in Tennessee basketball history will get his shot at the next level. Zakai Zeigler has reportedly agreed to a deal to play with the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Summer League, joining his former teammate and 37th overall pick Chaz Lanier.
Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler will play summer league with the Detroit Pistons, a source told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/pHE1NwK33l
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025
The undersized Zeigler was the unquestioned heartbeat of the Tennessee basketball program for the last four seasons. A once overlooked prospect out of New York, Rick Barnes found him and added him late to his 2021 class after Zeigler stood out again elite talent at Peach Jam.
Zeigler was an assumed redshirt to those outside the program, but instead he quickly forced his way onto the floor with his energy. He would go on to become a three-year starter for Barnes, averaging 13.6 points and 7.4 assists per game as a senior.
The 5-9 point guard owns the Tennessee school record for career assists and steals. Zeigler also holds the single-season school record with 275 assists in his final year.
As good as Zeigler was running the show on the offensive end, he was also a menace on the defensive end. He somehow always found a way to make up for his lack of size to make impact plays on that end of the floor, which is more than likely what stood out to Barnes in the first place.
That effort and tenacity has earned him a shot with the Pistons this summer. This comes after Zeigler’s camp fought in court for another season at Tennessee, but they were ultimately denied.
So now, at least for a handful of times this summer, we’ll get to see Zeigler and Lanier hit the floor together once again.