The Portland Trail Blazers somewhat resolved their center logjam with Deandre Ayton's buyout this summer. But eventually, they will need to decide which recent first-round pick to build around: Donovan Clingan or Yang Hansen?
They have yet to play a game together, but it's already apparent that the two centers can't effectively share the court, diminishing each other's value. To optimize their roster construction, general manager Joe Cronin may be forced into a difficult decision.
Yang Hansen selection could force Donovan Clingan out of Portland
In this trade scenario proposed by Bleacher Reports' Zach Buckley, the Blazers move on from Clingan, electing to go with Hansen's offensive upside.
Here is the deal in full:
Why this trade would help the Pacers
The Indiana Pacers suddenly find themselves in desperate need of a center with Myles Turner headed to their rival team in Milwaukee. They are also forced to retool following a shocking NBA Finals appearance due to the unfortunate Achilles injury suffered by Tyrese Haliburton, who recently predicted it will be around 15 months until he can play his next game.
Haliburton's expected gap year and Turner's departure make it a coin flip for them to reach the postseason, even in a weak Eastern Conference. That makes it crucial for Portland to have a 2026 first-round pick rather than something further down the road. The top five protections could also make it enough for Indiana to still feel comfortable pulling the trigger to land their future starting center.
"Is there enough potential here to help get a deal done for Clingan? With the right draft sweeteners, there might be. Clingan had his own challenges finding major minutes as a rookie and then saw the Blazers make a bold move on draft night for another center (Yang Hansen). You'd have to imagine the Pacers would love to have Clingan anchoring their Myles Turner-less interior," Buckley writes.
Why this trade would help the Blazers
Despite the optimism surrounding Yang, losing Clingan's presence as a defensive anchor would still significantly hurt a Blazers team that prides itself on that end of the court. They'd make up for some of that with the addition of two-way forward Jarace Walker, who has been undervalued since entering the league at the No. 8 overall pick in 2023.
Indiana's Cinderella run to the Finals showed that they have arguably the deepest team in the association. Unfortunately, that came at Walker's expense as he saw just 15.8 minutes per game last season. The combination of Walker's age (21), draft pedigree, and lack of opportunity suggests there's untapped potential in the former Houston Cougar. Walker's 3-and-D skillset would be a perfect fit for Portland's young core, as he's shot over 40% from deep in his first two seasons.
This isn't a home run trade by any means. Portland would really have to consider whether it's worth losing a starting-caliber center over. However, the Blazers need more shooting and forward depth, and this deal allows them to restructure their roster for better overall balance.