Considering Deandre Ayton now finds himself as the backup center on a rebuilding Washington Wizards team, it's safe to say the Portland Trail Blazers were right to move on from that failed experiment.
In hopes that the former No. 1 overall pick would benefit from a change of scenery, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took a flier on Ayton as part of the larger Damian Lillard multi-team blockbuster in 2023.
While that specific piece didn't pan out for Portland, overall the trade itself is increasingly looking like a steal. Even in that Jusuf Nurkic-Ayton swap with the Phoenix Suns, Portland somehow came away with a building block in Toumani Camara.
Blazers already proven right to prioritze Donovan Clingan
The fact that Portland was able to wash its hands of Ayton, reaching a buyout in which he forfeited $10 million of his salary for the upcoming season in the process, made the trade that much sweeter. They were then able to establish a defensive identity between Camara and Donovan Clingan, now in the starting lineup as the team's anchor.
That interior presence was largely missing during Ayton's two seasons with the Blazers. The numbers themselves weren't necessarily bad, as Ayton still averaged a double-double in Portland. However, they were also misleading, as his statistical production didn't quite match his impact on winning.
That's the exact opposite case with Clingan, who can still make a two-way impact and leave his mark on the game without having to score. With Ayton, his motor, defensive impact, and overall attitude were far too dependent on whether he was getting touches and opportunities to score on the other end. Lakers head coach JJ Redick even pointed that out during Ayton's most recent failed stint in Los Angeles.
But this isn't so much to point out Ayton's flaws -- those have already been covered enough in the spotlight that comes from the Lakers franchise and Los Angeles market. It's more so about how damn good Donovan Clingan already is at basketball.
Blazers' backcourt has to fit around Donovan Clingan
That was apparent when he led UConn to consecutive NCAA national championships. Those physical tools, underrated basketball IQ, and unselfish desire to win by any means necessary made Clingan arguably the safest prospect out of the entire 2024 draft class. He showed that high floor immediately in his rookie season, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.
However, Clingan's surprising ceiling is what stood out the most in his increased role with Ayton out of the picture last season. His improved three-point shot and conditioning made Clingan more of a two-way force, showing he can contribute more than rebounding and paint protection while still playing starter-level minutes throughout the season.
At just 22, the best is yet to come for Clingan and the Blazers. This surprising offseason has left the roster full of uncertainty and more questions than answers. But if there's one constant for this wonky Blazers roster, it's Clingan.
This roster is clearly still a work in progress, especially with their unresolved backcourt logjam. But the comfort Clingan provides in the frontcourt lets them experiment with different backcourt options in hopes of finding the right piece.
He'll have a tall task ahead of him to maintain this defensive identity with a potential starting backcourt of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard this season. But it's also important to remember this roster is in flux. Whatever that final backcourt iteration looks like, it must prove to be a strong fit with Clingan's game, given how important he's already become to this rebuild in just two seasons.
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