**Donovan Clingan’s Breakout Year Sparks Hope for Blazers Rebuild**
Key Takeaways:
- Donovan Clingan is emerging as a franchise cornerstone amid Portland’s rebuild.
- The 2024 No. 7 overall pick has shown elite defensive metrics and developing offensive skills.
- His performance is resurging fan interest and validating GM Joe Cronin’s draft strategy.
Portland, OR — Donovan Clingan is trending after a standout showing in his sophomore NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 7’2” center, taken 7th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, has quickly developed into one of the league’s top young defenders and is now central to the franchise’s future plans.
Second-Year Surge Turns Heads Across League
Donovan Clingan is making waves just halfway through his second NBA season. After earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team as a backup to Deandre Ayton, Clingan has ascended to the starting center role, following Ayton’s offseason release. The move gave Clingan the runway to showcase his skills, and he’s responded with increased production across the board.
In games where Clingan has logged 30+ minutes, he’s posted 14.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while boasting a 71% true shooting percentage. He’s also hitting 30% of his three-point attempts on the season after shooting 36% over a hot 21-game stretch. Defensively, he ranks as the 7th best overall defender and 10th best rim protector in the league, according to CraftedNBA’s advanced metrics.
His improvement has been instrumental in shaping Portland’s tougher, more defensively focused identity in the back half of the 2025 season. With key contributors like Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara stepping up alongside Clingan, the Trail Blazers finished the second half of the season at 23-18, a vast improvement over their early-season struggles.
Clingan Becoming the Crown Jewel of Cronin’s Draft Strategy
Clingan joins Portland amid one of its most turbulent roster transitions in a decade. With franchise icon Damian Lillard now long gone and a full rebuild underway, Clingan’s arrival marks the most promising player development win for GM Joe Cronin since picking Shaedon Sharpe in 2022. Unlike 2023 draftee Scoot Henderson, who’s had a rocky start, Clingan has displayed continual and rapid improvement.
Cronin told reporters post-2024 Draft night that the front office had been tracking Clingan for two years and would’ve taken him in 2023 if he had declared. “I wouldn’t put a ceiling on him. He’s THAT good,” Cronin emphasized. So far, Clingan is living up to those lofty expectations and quieting doubts about his conditioning and offensive skill set that hovered during his college days at UConn, where he won back-to-back NCAA titles.
Meanwhile, Portland’s 2025 draft saw considerably more scrutiny. After trading down from the 11th to 16th pick, the team selected Chinese center Yang Hansen, a surprising choice many labeled a reach. While Hansen remains a project player, Clingan’s rise has softened criticism of that decision, as the team isn’t in immediate need of another starting-caliber big.
Blazers Continue Rebuild with Clingan as Tentpole
The rise of Donovan Clingan is recalibrating expectations for the Trail Blazers, a team that has finished near the bottom of the standings for three straight years. With Clingan anchoring the interior, fans and analysts alike are crediting the front office for taking calculated risks now paying off.
Clingan’s estimated league-high rebounding rate, elite rim protection, and signs of offensive versatility make him an ideal modern big man. His 7’7” wingspan and improved lateral movement allow him to switch more effectively, giving head coach Chauncey Billups more lineup flexibility as the team experiments with fast-paced, switch-heavy defensive schemes.
Portland still owns multiple future draft picks—including assets from Boston and Orlando—that could be pivotal in adding more perimeter firepower around Clingan. More importantly, the team now has a young center to build around who’s already contributing at a near All-Star level. For a franchise mired in post-Lillard identity questions, “Cling Kong” may be the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is Donovan Clingan trending?
A: Clingan’s breakout second NBA season, marked by elite rim protection and improved offensive impact, has him trending as a future franchise cornerstone for the Trail Blazers.
Q: What happens next?
A: All eyes will be on how Portland builds around Clingan through the draft, free agency, and trades—beginning with the 2026 NBA Draft and offseason movement.
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