Donovan Clingan could be a top-three selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In their latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo had the gargantuan center going seventh overall to the Portland Trail Blazers. However, they report that “there’s chatter around the league that teams such as Portland, Memphis and Chicago might look to move up to draft Clingan.” Notably, the Houston Rockets are expected to “heavily pursue trade opportunities” with the No. 3 pick.
Multiple Teams Jousting For Chance to Draft Donovan Clingan
Though Clingan only took nine 3s in college, his touch in predraft shooting drills has scouts imagining him to be the next Brook Lopez.
Lopez notably only took 21 3-pointers in college. He had 31 career 3-point attempts after his first eight seasons. However, he completely changed his game in 2016-17, taking a then career-high 387 3-pointers. Since then, he’s launched 2,264 more 3-pointers. Clingan still has to prove his shooting upside is more than a theory. That said, there’s reason to believe that he can develop that area of his game.
Another concern with Clingan is his ability to guard out in space. As Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has shown, shot-blocking isn’t the be-all and end-all to high-level defense. Clingan’s an active defender, which may somewhat mask his lack of athleticism. However, his results from the Draft Combine tells the true story. Clingan’s max vertical (29.0 inches), lane agility (12.06 seconds), shuttle run (3.38 seconds), and 3/4 court sprint (3.46) were all below average.
Lastly, though Clingan is a popular prospect due to his performance at UConn, there are a number of collegiate stars who had a rough time at the next level. Take, for instance, former UConn big man Adama Sanogo. Sanogo had a decorated college career, winning a national championship and being named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023. In his final season, he led the Big East in points and ranked third in rebounds. Months later, he went undrafted, and has played 66 total minutes.
With that said, teams certainly could be lining up for Clingan. He averaged 2.5 blocks in 22.5 minutes per game in 2023-24. He’s a big boy at 7-foot-3 and 282 pounds with a 7-foot-7 wingspan and 9-foot-7 standing reach. With his length and feel, he’s a potential weapon at both ends of the court. Indeed, in many ways he resembles Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, already an elite rim-protector at 22 years old.
Offensively, Clingan doesn’t have to be a Lopez reincarnation. He’s comfortable with his back to the basket, displaying nimble footwork and soft touch. His size will overwhelm a swath of defenders. He may not be Nikola Jokic but he does nice work down low.
Furthermore, the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls need a man in the middle. The Grizzlies traded starting center Steven Adams in February. The Bulls are looking to move their starting pivot, Nikola Vucevic, as soon as possible. The Portland Trail Blazers seem like a less likely destination as they would have to move Deandre Ayton and his pricey contract for the deal to work. Nonetheless, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings are lottery teams that need shot-blockers too.
