NBA Rumors: OKC Could Explore Trading Up For UConn Star

The Oklahoma City Thunder could explore trading up for UCONN's Donovan Clingan in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2024 NBA Draft ramps up, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves in plenty of rumors. The latest coming via ESPN's Jonathan Givony who recently released an article of his top 100 prospects with news and notes on each player.

The ESPN scribe listed University of Connecticut star Donovan Clingan as his third-best prospect and described interesting scuttlebutt around the big man who will be a hot commodity on Draft night.

"Clingan isn't expected to drop past the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7, whom he just visited for a private workout as well. He is being discussed among teams as a possible target for the likes of Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City or Utah, who all might explore trading up for a player in his mold," Givony Reports.

The 7-foot-1 big man with a 7-foot-6 wingspan presents a great option for the Oklahoma City Thunder as a mobile paint presence who rejected 2.5 shots a game without simply camping in the paint, averaging 7.4 rebounds,1.5 assists and 13 points a game.

The 20-year-old would instantly lift Oklahoma City's frontcourt rotation and as a pick-and-roll defender. The UCONN star would round out the secondary unit but also pop in certain double-big lineups against specific matchups for Mark Daigneault alongside Chet Holmgren.

With the additional draft assets that the Thunder boast, they could make a surprising climb up the NBA Draft board from the No. 12 spot for Clingan. This would not be the first time Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has put on the full court press for a big man as he attempted to nab Evan Mobley in the 2021 NBA Draft.

While we do not know the level of interest coming from Oklahoma City, Clingan would be a high-end option in this draft for the Thunder.

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