Trail Blazers' Deandre Ayton problem has only 1 solution

The Portland Trail Blazers' center depth was one of their biggest positional strengths and has become a vulnerable weakness over the past few games. With Donovan Clingan (Grade 2 MCL sprain) set to be re-evaluated in approximately one week and Robert Williams III (concussion protocol) not traveling with the team to Los Angeles for their game against the Clippers, Portland remains shorthanded.

Deandre Ayton is still an above-average starting center in the league. Still, he can only do so much to compensate for the Blazers' injuries, especially given the disparities in the players' styles of play. If Ayton is the Ying, then Clingan and Williams are the Yangs. Ayton is more of an offensive-minded, score-first player who thrives in the midrange, while Clingan and Williams are defensive anchors who do most of their damage on that side of the court.

Donovan Clingan emerges as the Blazers' future starting center

Clingan's last game was Nov. 23 in the Blazers' 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets, where he had a unique stat line of 19 rebounds and three blocks, yet zero points, further showcasing his ability to impact winning without needing the ball in his hands.

"Cling Kong" has missed four games since then, and the Blazers have gone 1-3 in that span. They've surrendered an average of 121.75 points in those four games, substantially higher than the 114.7 they currently average on the season (a number that has also been inflated from their last four games).

Given Clingan's draft capital, age, rookie contract, and immediate impact on winning at a high level, he should be considered the Blazers' future starting center.

Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III mentioned as trade candidates

The Blazers have no need to roster three centers who are all capable of being starters for a team (not to mention Duop Reath); it would diminish returns for them as the centers would cut into each other's roles, which has already been apparent so far this season. That leaves either Ayton or Williams as the odd man out.

Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype mentions Ayton and Williams (along with Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons) as the top trade candidates from each team leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline.

Scotto states, "Clingan has shown advanced flashes of being an elite rim protector with good shooting touch for his 7-foot-2 frame in his rookie season. Thus, there's a belief around the league that Portland will look to finally sell on Robert Williams while he's healthy and could also gauge Deandre Ayton's trade value. Williams and Ayton are both signed through the 2025-26 season, with Ayton due $69.55 million and Williams owed $25.72 million."

The injury setbacks to Clingan and Williams have been unfortunate for different reasons. Clingan was taking that next step as a rookie and showing inevitable signs of becoming the Blazers' long-term center. Williams was looking fully recovered from his knee injury and was boosting his trade value before his concussion, which was the Blazers' goal all along.

Blazers should trade Deandre Ayton before the deadline

However, RW3 was playing so well that the Blazers may now have to reconsider whether or not to trade him. He still fits their rebuilding timeline at 27, on a reasonable deal, and arguably just as impactful as Ayton on a per-minute basis, just in very different aspects.

At some point, Clingan needs to see a boost in the 17 minutes per game he's currently averaging. Ayton is entrenched as the Blazers' starting for now, and keeping his role and minutes (30.6) around is hindering Clingan's development much more significantly than Williams' 18.7 minutes per game.

It may be challenging to find value for Ayton, given his massive contract as the Blazers' highest-paid player, especially relative to the impact he has on winning as someone who doesn't contribute much outside of scoring and rebounding. But it's an essential next step that GM Joe Cronin must make in their rebuilding process.