Hornets, in search of big man, sign Dallas Lauderdale and Brian Qvale

Steve Clifford wants the Hornets to get another big man.

With Noah Vonleh injured, Charlotte has just four healthy power forwards and centers:

• Al Jefferson
• Marvin Williams (he’s a stretch four to Clifford)
• Cody Zeller
• Bismack Biyombo

Fortunately for the Hornets, they have just 14 guaranteed contracts, leaving an open roster spot below the regular-season limit of 15 players.

Charlotte took a step toward filling it.

Hornets release:

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Justin Cobbs, forward Dallas Lauderdale and center Brian Qvale to its training camp roster. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not released. The training camp roster now stands at 17.

Qvale and Lauderdale are the biggest and most accomplished of the three. Both – Qvale out of Montana and Lauderdale out of Ohio State – went undrafted in 2011, and neither has yet to reach the NBA.

At 6-foot-11, Qvale is more of a center, but the 6-foot-8 Lauderdale can handle the interior, too. They go about it differently, but both block shots well.

Cobbs, a guard who went undrafted out of Cal this year, doesn’t fit the profile. He’s unlikely to last past training camp.

Qvale and Lauderdale, on the other hand, could be battling for a roster spot – at least until Vonleh gets healthy.