The dream starting 5 for the Trail Blazers 5 years from now

C: Donovan Clingan

It may take a season or two for No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan to enter the Blazers' starting lineup. Deandre Ayton is still the better player and is under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season. Ayton could be moved before his contract is up, but it could be difficult to find trade value since he's owed nearly $70 million over the next two years.

Keeping Ayton around in the short term isn't the worst thing for Portland and Clingan's development, as it will give him more time to improve his conditioning until he's relied on to get starter minutes. Last season at UConn, Clingan only averaged 22.5 minutes per game. He could see something similar to that in his first season with the Blazers, but the starting job is eventually his for the taking.

In this dream scenario, Portland already has plenty of offensive weapons between athletic guards Henderson and Sharpe and versatile forwards Dybantsa and Flagg. Adding Clingan to anchor the middle as a 7-foot-2 big man with incredible rebounding and rim-protecting instincts would be the perfect complementary center, as he can significantly impact winning without demanding the ball.

This ideal starting five would have the perfect blend of playmaking, scoring, and defense, with Clingan leading the way on that end of the court. While it's extremely unlikely this lineup will ever come to fruition, it's encouraging that the Blazers already have three of the five players on their roster, along with what should be another top-ten pick next summer.