NBA rumors: Grizzlies ‘most frequent’ team connected to Donovan Clingan trade up
There remains plenty of uncertainty as to how the 2024 NBA Draft will unfold even though there are only two days before the league’s newest crop of rookies enter the association. But one thing is becoming increasingly clearer as we inch closer to draft night — the Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly interested in adding a new frontcourt partner for Jaren Jackson Jr.
One option that the Grizzlies could pursue is to trade up from the ninth overall pick so they could select UConn’s Donovan Clingan, as per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Clingan has been very impressive throughout the entire draft process, and at 7’2, he projects to be a resolute rim protector. Clingan and Jackson could potentially form the league’s best defensive frontcourt, and one of its most versatile as well.
Clingan, in two years with UConn, did not shoot too many threes. However, he has been flashing his improved range from the perimeter up to beyond the arc during draft-related workouts. This could enable the Grizzlies to form a solid inside-outside duo to help them bounce back from an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign.
Where there is smoke, there is fire, and according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, the Grizzlies have been “frequently connected” to a potential draft-night swoop-in for Donovan Clingan; it’s unclear how much it would take for the Grizzlies to, say, move up to three or four so they could get one of the best centers in this year’s draft, but they own all of their future first-rounders which they could use as sweeteners in any prospective deal.
The Grizzlies may have to be aggressive if they are serious in their pursuit of Clingan on draft night; Givony and Woo noted that the UConn big man “remains in play” for the Atlanta Hawks at number one, as well as trade-back scenarios that involve moving the first overall pick.
Grizzlies look to patch some holes
The center position was a revolving door all season long for a Grizzlies team that endured injury woes of historic proportions. Steven Adams last played for the team in January 2023, and since then, the Grizzlies haven’t found a suitable replacement for a hard-nosed, relentless glass-crasher who set arguably the best screens in the entire association.
Last season, the Grizzlies relied on Santi Aldama, Xavier Tillman Sr., Bismack Biyombo, and Trey Jemison to partner with Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt. Suffice to say, those players did not provide what the Grizzlies want from the center position. Thus, their rumored interest in Donovan Clingan makes a ton of sense.
But in the event that the trade demands for a potential move up the draft end up being too unreasonable for their liking, the Grizzlies could still pivot and look for another center that fits the mold that they’re looking for. It is possible that the Grizzlies set their sights on acquiring one of Clint Capela or Mitchell Robinson, both of whom are available as per Scotto.
The Grizzlies shouldn’t find acquiring Capela too difficult of a task. The Hawks’ leverage isn’t what it used to be; the entire NBA knows that they’re embarking on a rebuild, or at least placing more of an emphasis on youth movement, and Capela doesn’t fit their timeline. Moreover, they have Onyeka Okongwu who’s waiting to take over and become the team’s starting center. Capela is also in the final year of his deal, and he’s making around $22.3 million for the 2023-24 season which further depresses his trade value.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson may not be the most enticing trade option in the world for the Grizzlies. For a team that knows how injuries can mean the death of a season, acquiring Robinson from the New York Knicks may be counterintuitive. Robinson suited up in just 31 games this past season, while his postseason run ended early with yet another injury. But Robinson is set to make a total of $27.3 million for the next two seasons, so it’ll be easier to put together an acceptable trade package.
Donovan Clingan to the moon?
The traditional rim-protecting, rim-rolling big man is making a comeback in style; Rudy Gobert was as crucial as it was going to get for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they made it to the Western Conference Finals for just the second time in franchise history, while the Dallas Mavericks rode their center duo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II to an alley-oop party all the way to a trip to the NBA Finals.
Clearly, there is a place for this archetype of player to be featured on a contending team; the Grizzlies, after a down 2023-24 season, are looking to return to the playoffs with aplomb. Could Donovan Clingan, the 20-year old 7’2 big man with a 7’7 wingspan, be their long-term answer at the center position?
The post NBA rumors: Grizzlies ‘most frequent’ team connected to Donovan Clingan trade up appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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