Noah Vonleh is the last remaining asset from the Trail Blazers‘ trade with the Hornets that featured Nicolas Batum. Gerald Henderson has taken his talents to Philly, which leaves the pressure on Terry Stotts and his staff to develop Vonleh in hopes of somewhat salvaging the trade. Portland’s roster figures to be one of the deepest in their history, which could make finding playing time for the 21-year-old big man a tough task.
Vonleh’s 56 starts last season were a matter of convenience on two levels for the Trail Blazers. He served as a fill-in for the injured Meyers Leonard, and he played the role of a young option on a team that wasn’t quite aware of their ceiling.