The Portland Trail Blazers were one of four teams not to make a trade at the deadline, joining the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets. It was somewhat surprising that Portland didn't at least make a minor move, considering how active the deadline was and that the Blazers still have veterans clogging up minutes for their young core.
Portland's past three top-ten picks, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan, have all shown promise this season. But all three are currently coming off the bench. It's hard to argue with the results, as Chauncey Billups has the Blazers playing at a high level. They've unexpectedly won 10 of their last 11 games (with their only loss coming to the Oklahoma City Thunder) and have an active six-game winning streak.
The Blazers may be reluctant to make any significant changes to their lineup, as Billups has found a formula that has been working. However, one move they should consider making to help their long-term outlook is moving Clingan to the starting center spot and relegating Deandre Ayton to the bench.
Blazers must bench Deandre Ayton to pave the way for Donovan Clingan
Ayton's play and effort have improved significantly during the Blazers' hot stretch, and he's been a big factor in Portland's ability to go on this run. But that doesn't change that Clingan is the Blazers' starting center of the future.
The Blazers would have traded away Ayton at the deadline in a perfect world. But it was expected that they wouldn't be able to find a team both willing and financially able to trade for Portland's highest-paid player.
Despite Ayton's improved play, it seems likely that the Blazers will find another landing spot for him in the summer. It's clear they are high on Robert Williams III after not trading him at the deadline, and it doesn't make sense to have three starting-level centers on the roster going forward. More importantly, having Ayton as this temporary placeholder in the starting lineup cuts into Clingan's minutes and opportunities.
Although the UConn big man needs to improve his conditioning, he should still be playing more than the 16.1 minutes he averages. Clingan has been impactful in his limited stretches with per-36 stats of 11.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 3.4 blocks.
Clingan has already shown enough value to be considered the Blazers' long-term center. And by not making the switch, Portland is unnecessarily prolonging the inevitable.