The Charlotte Hornets reportedly attempted to trade former no.4 overall pick Cody Zeller before they decided to shop Noah Vonleh instead, according to Gerry Washburn of Boston Herald.

After a disappointing campaign last season, the Hornets put themselves back in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt after coming through with a series of moves in the trading front.

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One of the highlights of their offseason was the trade that helped them land small forward Nicolas Batum, though at a hefty price. In order to convince the Portland Trail Blazers into trading the French swingman, the Hornets had to send Gerald Henderson and Vonleh, the no.9 overall pick in the 2014 Draft.

According to Washburn, the Hornets placed more value on Vonleh but had to part ways eventually since they found no takers or reasonable trade offer for Zeller, the no.4 overall pick in the 2013 Draft.

"Why did the Hornets move 19-year-old Noah Vonleh after just one injury-plagued season? Because they tried to move former fourth overall pick Cody Zeller but found no takers," Washburn disclosed in his latest piece on the Boston Herald.

 "The Hornets were looking to lighten their frontcourt with the addition of Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky and found Vonleh, a Haverhill native, carried more value than Zeller. Vonleh has been impressive for the Trail Blazers in summer league, making the deal even more curious for the Hornets."

The 19-year old Vonleh averaged 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in his rookie year with the Hornets. His first-year production paled in comparison to other lottery picks (Andrew Wiggins, Marcus Smart and Jabari Parker before the injury) but it's largely because of the groin injury suffered at training camp and the limited playing time allotted for him as a result of a logjam in the Hornets front-court.

Vonleh nevertheless impressed late in the season when he put some decent outing, including a 16-points, 12-rebound game in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. He continued to deliver strong numbers in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He also shot 55.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range to earn second-team Summer League honors via Oregon Live.

Tags Charlotte Hornets, Noah Vonleh, NBA Trade Rumors, Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum, Cody Zeller