The Portland Trail Blazers' decision to pass on Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham looks even better in light of recent NBA developments.
The Blazers selected UConn center and two-time NCAA national champion Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, who already looks like one of the best players in the class just two seasons into his promising young NBA career.
But that decision looks even better considering one very possible alternative was Dillingham, selected just one pick later.
Blazers found Donovan Clingan in weak 2024 draft class
After two concerningly unproductive seasons in the NBA, Dillingham was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, who recently waived the former No. 8 overall pick.
It remains to be seen if another team will take a chance on his offensive upside and draft pedigree, but the fact that it's even in doubt whether Dillingham already had his last stop in the NBA at just age 21 is incredibly telling about the extent of this draft bust.
Portland was incredibly high on Clingan entering the draft, which both made sense at the time and is somehow even easier to see in retrospect.
The Atlanta Hawks were even considering the UConn product with the No. 1 overall pick, ultimately taking a chance on French wing Zaccharie Risacher. Similarly to Dillingham, Risacher surprisingly isn't even with the team that took a chance on him in the draft just two seasons prior.
Dillingham was a trade candidate the Blazers were right to avoid for obvious reasons, as they already have concerns about their potential starting backcourt after Ja Morant and Damian Lillard.
Dillingham's defensive limitations are already threatening to kick him out of the league just two seasons later, so this isn't the situation to figure that ou -- as much as new owner Tom Dundon loves his reclamation projects.
Fortunately, the Blazers don't have to worry about boosting the stock of their actual draft selection in Clingan. He was All-Rookie Second Team, marking the first Blazer since Damian Lillard to earn an All-Rookie Selection. Then, the Blazers wisely dumped Deandre Ayton via buyout to clear a starting path for Clingan in his second season, which he rewarded with a breakout campaign.
Clingan played more minutes in a starting role with improved conditioning, took and made more three-pointers, and, most importantly, anchored what became a playoff team in the Pacific Northwest.
That impact on Portland's playoff appearance already raised Clingan in the 2024 draft class rankings, and Dillingham's rapid decline further confirms the Blazers made the obvious choice by an increasingly wide margin.
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