Trail Blazers Select Donovan Clingan with Lone Remaining Lottery Pick in 2024 NBA Draft

Portland has its top blue chip prospect of the summer.

Apr 13, 2024; Hartford, CT, USA; UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) hold the championship trophy as he arrives at the State Capitol and greeted by fans before teams victory parade. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Just an hour and change after flipping their second lottery pick (No. 14) to offload the contract of Malcolm Brogdon and save some cash, the Portland Trail Blazers have used their top remaining selection, the No. 7 overall pick, to select two-time NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan in the first round of this week's 2024 NBA Draft.

The 7-foot-2 shot blocker joins a Portland club with an uncertain future, and perhaps a Day 1 starting opportunity next season. Incumbent start Deandre Ayton has been floated as a potential trade prospect, and with Brogdon's contract now off the Trail Blazers' books, it seems quite possible that the club will continue to shed salaries as it looks towards raw young talent and a fourth straight tanking season under head coach Chauncey Billups.

On Thursday night, the Trail Blazers possess the Nos. 34 and 40 picks in the draft. It will be intriguing to see if team president Joe Cronin opts to hold on to both selections or offload one or both in further cost-cutting ventures.

Rip City is clearly prioritizing financial flexibility, long-term upside and at least one more season of being terrible. Clingan is a solid talent with starter-on-a-good-team-level upside, but the young big man will probably take a few more years to reach that tier. In the meantime, Portland is obviously angling to be bad enough to compete in what should be a loaded 2025 NBA Draft.

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