There is a real chance the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, or Washington Wizards could make Connecticut star Donovan Clingan the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and a pair of NBA insiders recently gave fans of those teams reason to be excited about that possibility.
In June, the Hawks, Wizards, and Rockets will have an important decision to make. The three organizations have the top three selections in the 2024 NBA Draft and will hope to land a future franchise player. Unfortunately, there have many reports about this year’s class being one of the weakest in decades.
Also Read: 2024 NBA Draft order – NBA Draft lottery results, full NBA Draft order for 2024
- Donovan Clingan stats (2023-24): 13.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.5 BPG
That is why there have been recent rumors about all of them looking to possibly trade down or out of the first round next month. It makes it all the more important to get their pick right if they do hold on to the selection. One player who has been flying up draft boards in recent weeks and could be the top pick for the trio of teams is UConn star Donovan Clingan.
The two-time National Champion has a lot of hype surrounding him, but during a new edition of “The Woj Pod,” NBA insiders Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski went into detail on why the hype is legit and Atlanta Hawks or Washington Wizards fans should be excited about possibly getting the center that is a cross between Rudy Gobert and Brook Lopez.
“Donovan Clingan is a guy that I would have No. 2 at this stage [of the pre-draft process],” Givony said. “You look at a guy who’s 7-foot-3, 7-foot-1 wingspan who is that kind of defender, the way he protects the rim, his instincts, timing, the intensity that he brings, then there’s an ability to make plays as a passer, as a screener, as a finisher.
“… I believe that he’s a guy that’s going to reach his full potential and also eventually becomes a three-point shooter. He’s going to stretch the floor and that’s going to make him a very dangerous player,” he continued, “I say think about a cross between a Rudy Gobert and a Brook Lopez. Is that an All-Star? Maybe. Is it an MVP candidate? Probably not but that’s a high-level starter that any team in the NBA would want to have.”
Donovan Clingan reportedly has a 9-foot-7 standing reach and can dunk without even jumping. However, the league insiders claimed he is very athletic for his size and has great lateral movement, has a high basketball IQ, a smooth shot that will get better and is only 20 years old. Wojnarowski added to the upside in Clingan by explaining major intangibles he has that helped UConn win back-to-back titles.
Also Read: 2024 NBA Draft – Top prospects, date, time, latest draft order
“As teams are meeting him, they know what the intel is. The kind of teammate he’s been. The kind of leader he was. The kind of empathy he has for teammates,” Wojnarowski said. “That’s been known through his time at UConn. But you talk to teams that started to get to spend time with him and everybody around him knew that was only going to enhance his stock with teams. That’s only going to help his case at No. 1, No. 2 with Washington, or perhaps No. 3 with the Rockets.”
The 2024 NBA Draft takes place on June 26 and 27 in Brooklyn, New York.