NBA Insider Suggests UConn's Donovan Clingan Is In Play To Be Selected In The Top Three

Jackson Caudell | May 18, 2024

Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) grabs a rebound during the NCAA Men’s Basketball / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

The Atlanta Hawks are the team that controls the top of the draft after their shocking NBA Draft Lottery win and they are in the process of trying to find out who to select with the No. 1 pick. Most mock drafts and draft experts have pegged Alex Sarr to the Hawks with the No. 1 pick, but there is no consensus No. 1 pick and the Hawks are doing their due diligence with the other prospects near the top of the draft.

On the most recent episode of his podcast, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski was discussing prospects at the top of the draft with ESPN Draft Expert Jonathan Givony and Wojnarowski suggested that Clingan is firmly in play to go in the top three, which obviously means he is in play for the No. 1 pick to Atlanta:

"I think with Clingan, there are elements to his game that you did not see at UConn that have been there and he has been someone that going back to his high school days, spent a lot of time, behind the three-point line and developing that game. You go watch him workout and you watch him practice and him moving all the way around the arc and back again and shooting the ball. He has not been a great free throw shooter, but there is no reason to believe that he is not going to be a better free throw shooter, there is nothing wrong with his stroke and it feels like it is a place that he is going to improve. His dominance for UConn, what he did, the improvement, the lateral quickness, his ability to recover and cover so much ground, you saw the NCAA Tournament, I mean Illinois literally could not get anywhere near the basket with him on the floor, but you saw it all year.

As teams are meeting him and getting their....they know what the intel is on him, what kind of teammate he has been, the kind of leader he was, the kind of empathy that he has for teammates, that has been known, but you just talk to teams who started to get to spend time with him and anybody around him knew that that was only going to enhance his stock when they get to meet with him and I think he will only go to select teams and spend even more time in their organization, certainly that is only going to help his case at No. 1, No. 2 with Washington, or perhaps even No. 3 with the Rockets."

Donovan Clingan is firmly in play to be drafted in the top three — Hawks, Wizards or Rockets — per @wojespn (https://t.co/yVi24sFflQ).

Clingan impressed teams at the NBA Draft Combine during meetings and testing. pic.twitter.com/1u4Rv1XyD3

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 17, 2024

I have Clingan as No. 2 on my big board for the Hawks and I think he would be a great defensive centerpiece for a team that needs it. While I do prefer Sarr, I think Clingan would be a fine fit on the Hawks. If they do like Clingan though, I think they could trade back a few spots and still select them, while picking up more draft capital.

Atlanta is taking a look at several prospects at the top of the draft. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, general manager Landry Fields, and assistant general manager Kyle Korver were sitting courtside to watch potential No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher play in the playoffs this week in France.

Dimanche soir, Atlanta a hérité du premier choix de draft #NBA à la surprise générale.
Quatre jours plus tard, le coach des Hawks, Quin Snyder, et le GM adjoint Kyle Korver ont fait le déplacement jusqu’à Bourg pour observer Zaccharie Risacher en playoffs de #BetclicÉLITE ! pic.twitter.com/N2l9ZrQ2yQ

— Alexandre Lacoste (@Alex__Lacoste) May 16, 2024

While most of the attention is going to be on Sarr, it would be malpractice for the Hawks to not look at every option in front of them. This pick is critical for their future and they need to nail this selection right. I also think it is possible if they like Risacher enough, they could trade down to get him while acquiring some extra draft capital.

I think if the Hawks decide to not take Sarr, Risacher is one of a handful of guys that could be in contention for the pick.

Risacher has the most range of anyone in this draft, meaning I have seen him projected to go near the top, but also seen him towards the 7-10 range. He is a talented wing player who would bring versatility and athleticism to the position and fill a lot of needs for the Hawks. The question with him is on the offensive end, especially his consistency. This is another high-risk proposition for the Hawks if they take him, but his upside and potential is clearly there.

There are less than six weeks to the NBA Draft and Atlanta is going to be looking at every option on the table. Whether it is Sarr, Clingan, or Risacher, Atlanta must nail this selection to help them set their franchise up for the future.