Donovan Clingan is entering an odd situation in Portland.
At 7-foot-2, offering a wingspan of nearly 7-foot-7, Donovan Clingan has the size to become one of the NBA's best interior defenders, especially when you factor in his movement pattern, defensive timing, and 280-pound frame.
The question is, though: Given where Portland is in its process, does it make sense to bring the 20-year-old along slowly? The Blazers are going nowhere this season, and will need to make significant alterations to their roster over the coming year. If Clingan is indeed their future, it would make sense to carve out as many minutes for him as possible this very season, so as to get his feet wet.
With the regular season still two months away, the Blazers technically have time to get their affairs in order, but with so many teams more or less done making offseason moves, finding takers at this stage of the summer won't necessarily be easy. Ayton is in no rush to get moved, for what it's worth. Not only did he finish last season on a high note, it's also quite a lot to throw Clingan into a starting lineup, and expect him to carry 30+ minutes. Keeping Ayton, for now, and letting Clingan get all the non-Ayton minutes seem like a fair compromise at this stage, even if the overarching point of needing moves remains.
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