The Portland Trail Blazers have a 19-man training camp roster after cutting Henri Drell, who was on an Exhibit 10 deal, right before the start. They currently have 14 players on guaranteed deals and three players on two-way contracts: Bryce McGowens, Justin Minaya, and Taze Moore. That leaves Dalano Banton and Devonte Graham on non-guaranteed deals, which could result in a training camp battle for the last roster spot.
Here is the Blazers' 19-man training camp roster:
- 00 Scoot Henderson, G, 6-3, 196
- 1 Anfernee Simons, G, 6-3, 195
- 2 Deandre Ayton, C, 6-11, 250
- 4 Matisse Thybulle, G/F, 6-5, 201
- 5 Dalano Banton, G, 6-9, 204
- 8 Deni Avdija, F, 6-9, 240
- 9 Jerami Grant, F, 6-8, 210
- 10 Justin Minaya, G/F, 6-7, 210
- 11 Bryce McGowens, G, 6-5, 190
- 17 Shaedon Sharpe, G, 6-6, 200
- 18 Devonte Graham, G, 6-1, 195,
- 21 Rayan Rupert, G/F, 6-7, 195
- 23 Donovan Clingan, C, 7-2, 280
- 24 Kris Murray, F, 6-8, 215
- 26 Duop Reath, C, 6-11, 245
- 33 Toumani Camara, F, 6-8, 220
- 34 Jabari Walker, F, 6-9, 215
- 35 Robert Williams III, C, 6-9, 237
- 76 Taze Moore, G, 6-5, 195
19. Taze Moore, G
Can he utilize his athleticism to become a lockdown defender?
Moore had four appearances with the Blazers last season and shot just 14.3 percent from deep on 1.8 attempts in those games. Sticking around in the NBA is tough if you are a guard who can't effectively space the floor.
Moore may never be a legitimate three-point threat, so he must make an impact elsewhere. He's an incredible athlete, which he can use to his advantage on the defensive end, both on the ball and as a help defender. Moore's defense will have to be his calling card to separate himself from the rest of the pack.