Ranking top 5 draft prospects for Portland Trail Blazers' pick No. 7

1. Donovan Clingan, Center, Connecticut

Talks about the Blazers' interest in back-to-back national champion Donovan Clingan have been circulating. The previous rumblings pertained to Portland selecting the Connecticut center at No. 7, mainly because the teams picking before the Blazers (Pistons and Hornets) already have their future centers.

However, according to ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, recent rumors indicate that Clingan is now unlikely to be available at No. 7. The Rockets are exploring trade options to get a more established veteran to help them make a playoff run in exchange for pick No. 3, with the Blazers mentioned as team in the mix a potential trade partner. Although the Blazers have Deandre Ayton, who had an exceptional finish to last season, they shouldn't let that prevent them from selecting Clingan if he's available at No. 7.

As mentioned with Reed Sheppard, in a draft of uncertain prospects at the top, Clingan has a high floor with his elite defensive ability as a 7-foot-2 center capable of protecting the rim and guarding out on the perimeter. He's also shown promise as a capable floor spacer on offense. If teams are confident in Clingan's ability to consistently shoot threes and contribute on offense, it's extremely doubtful he's available at No. 7.

But if he's still there, Clingan is too much of a sure-fire prospect in a draft of unknowns to miss out on, regardless of whether they view Ayton as a long-term solution at center.