Deandre Ayton was on the hot seat in Portland after the Trail Blazers invested consecutive first-round picks at the center position, signaling that the franchise didn't view him as the long-term starting solution. The Blazers and Ayton parted ways this offseason, reaching a contract buyout in late June.
Ayton agreed to forfeit $10 million of his remaining $35.6 million salary with the Blazers. While that was financially beneficial, the primary motivation behind this decision from Portland's standpoint was to clear a starting role and minutes for Donovan Clingan. He's already justifying that decision, showing improvements across the board in Year 2.
Blazers were wise to clear the path for Donovan Clingan
This season, Clingan is averaging 10.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. That doesn't even paint the whole picture for the two-way impact he has on this roster. Cling Kong is one of the most dominant interior forces in the association, leading the way with an offensive rebound rate of 15.7%. That's with Portland not even playing to his strengths on the offensive end, often having him float out on the perimeter, where he attempts 2.8 threes a game at just 24.1%.
He's already a starting-caliber center at 21 years old, thanks to his elite rebounding and rim protection. But that's the thing: there's more untapped potential here than meets the eye. If Clingan can expand his offensive arsenal to become a true floor-spacing threat, taking a similar career arc to someone like Brook Lopez, he could become one of the best bigs in the league.
Ayton was fine in Portland. He didn't meet expectations as a former No. 1 overall pick, and the Blazers hoped a change of scenery would unlock the potential that made him a coveted prospect in the first place. But he still averaged a double-double in both seasons.
It wasn't that he wasn't a starting-caliber center of his own; it had more to do with the fact that, two seasons later, Portland finally had a significant enough sample size to know who he is as a player. A competent starter, sure. But one that had its own limitations in the form of inconsistent effort and a lack of on-court awareness.
Clingan has already proven he can be that key piece of a winning formula, as evidenced by his back-to-back NCAA national championships with UConn. The Blazers know precisely what they are getting out of Clingan, making him a reliable building block. He keeps getting better, too, which should make Portland feel comfortable investing in him going forward.
The Blazers have found their identity this season as a physical, defensive-minded team. Clingan is quietly the anchor that makes this entire winning formula work. The Blazers were right to make him a priority over Ayton, and the gap between the two centers should only continue to widen.