Celtics

Celtics reportedly add Haverhill native Noah Vonleh to training camp roster

Vonleh spent last season with the Shanghai Sharks.

The Celtics reportedly added Noah Vonleh to their training camp roster on Monday. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

August 2, 2022

The Celtics added big man Noah Vonleh to their training camp roster on Monday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Vonleh, who is from Haverhill, was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. He originally attended Haverhill High School before transferring to NEPSAC prep school New Hampton in New Hampshire as a junior.

Vonleh spent one season at Indiana, where his size, rebounding and motor helped make him a lottery pick to the Hornets in 2014 at No. 9 overall.

After playing just 25 games in his first season with the Hornets, Vonleh was dealt to the Blazers as part of a deal for Nic Batum. He never really caught on in the NBA, but his rebounding was noteworthy — he has single-game career-highs of 19 and 18 rebounds and averaged double-digit boards per 36 minutes in five of his seven seasons. Still, Vonleh spent last season with the Shanghai Sharks in China where he averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range.

Vonleh is just 26, but he’s yet to achieve all of his pre-draft promise. In 2014, an Eastern Conference scout made a comparison between Vonleh and a lump of clay to The Boston Globe, noting that Vonleh was yet to be molded.

“For someone that young with the skill set and size and how hard he plays, I don’t think you miss with him,” the scout said.

The Celtics currently have only Luke Kornet — who signed a two-year deal reportedly worth $4.5 million this offseason — on their roster as a pure back-up big man. Brad Stevens made it clear they hope Kornet can help them win with real minutes after a solid 2021-22 season with the Red Claws.

“I think he’s at that stage where he can do that,” Stevens said.

Still, Stevens said the Celtics would “probably” add one more player to back up Al Horford and Robert Williams, since the duo is expected to continue to start next season. Shortly after Summer League wrapped up, the Celtics signed Mfiondu Kabengele to a two-way deal.

The Celtics will be able to fill out their training camp roster with some interesting pieces including Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo, who also signed a deal with the Celtics on Monday.

Players with training camp deals have a lot to play for — while both Celtics two-way slots are currently full, they have three roster spots remaining. If Vonleh performs well in training camp, he has a chance to make a homecoming both to the states and to his home town.