Trail Blazers News: Rival Front Offices Weigh in on Donovan Clingan Draft Pick

The two-time NCAA champ fell to Portland with the No. 7 selection in this year's draft.

Jul 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) shoots the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Tony Bradley (31) during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

When former two-time University of Connecticut Huskies NCAA champion Donovan Clingan fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2024 NBA Draft, selecting him seemed like a no-brainer to fans — despite the fact that the team already had three very solid rotation centers rostered.

In a new poll of NBA front office executives and scouts by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, the Trail Blazers' selection of the 7-foot-2 big man was considered the second-biggest steal of the entire draft, behind only former Kentucky combo guard Reed Sheppard. The Houston Rockets added the 6-foot-2 rookie to their 41-41 squad via the No. 3 pick.

“I thought [Clingan] was a steal on draft night at 7, but the things he did defensively in summer league were unreal with the impact he made,” one anonymous executive opined. “Now they have him shooting trail and pick-and-pop threes. If he starts making those consistently, that’s a game-changer with the way he can pass and protect the rim.”

Clingan showed off his prowess as a defender and rim protector to great acclaim during this year's Las Vegas Summer League. Across his four games with the club, the 20-year-old averaged 9.0 points on 37.5 percent shooting, 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks a night, in just 25.4 minutes per bout.

Well-compensated center Deandre Ayton, acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Suns last summer, seems likely to start ahead of Clingan at the beginning of the season — assuming Ayton is still rostered, anyway. Clingan will duke it out with injury-prone former All-Defensiver center Robert Williams III and second-year big man Duop Reath for reserve minutes off the bench, as he looks to help Portland improve on its miserable 21-61 finish in 2023-24.

More Trail Blazers: Chauncey Billups Praises Ex-Star Being Signed by West Rival