Donovan Clingan Could be Young Center Raptors Have Been Searching For

The Toronto Raptors have been looking for a young center to pair with their core and Donovan Clingan could be exactly that kind of NBA draft prospect

Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

There’s nothing particularly exciting about Donovan Clingan.

When it comes to the top prospects in this year’s draft class, Clingan is a bit of a bore. He can’t space the floor. He’s not one of these modern do-it-all big men like Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren. But what he lacks in flair, the 7-foot-2 UConn big man makes up for with reliability and defensive know-how.

For the Toronto Raptors, that can’t be overlooked. Taking Clingan in the top six of this year’s draft wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but considering Toronto went 4-28 in games without starting center Jakob Poeltl this year, the value of an old-fashioned big man can’t be understated.

“At Clingan’s size, even NBA players will be challenged when getting to the rim as he brings his shot-blocking to the next level,” said Nicholas Crain of FanNation’s NBA draft site. “Whether it is against another big or as a help defender on a smaller guard or wing, Clingan is an elite rim protector.”

Clingan was the anchor for UConn’s national championship-winning defense this year. The 280-pound giant with a 7-foot-7 wingspan averaged 2.5 blocks per game and came up biggest when the lights were the brightest. He had eight blocks against Northwestern in the Round of 32 and held his own against Purdue’s Zach Edey in the national championship game.

Offensively, Clingan is more limited. He’s an effective screen setter and an efficient inside scorer with impressive passing chops for a big man who averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this season while shooting 63.9% from the field.

But, like Poeltl, there’s not much else.

Clingan attempted eight three-pointers all season and shot 58.3% from the free-throw line. He’s almost a total non-shooter from anywhere outside of the paint and in a league that’s increasingly full of big men who can space the floor, Clingan is a bit of a dinosaur.

“As great as he is on the defensive end as a shot blocker, his offensive game is limited until he proves he has a reliable jumper to space the floor in any capacity,” Crain added. “When looking around the league today, most of the top teams have a starting center who has that modern skillset.”

For Toronto, the 20-year-old Clingan is a bit of a weird fit with Poeltl on the roster.

It doesn’t really make a ton of sense to have two so similarly skilled big men on the roster and with Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk both under contract moving forward, it’s hard to see how Clingan would get much playing time without the Raptors making a trade.

But maybe that’s OK.

After losing Christian Koloko earlier this year, Toronto is without a young developmental big to pair with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Gradey Dick moving forward. Adding Clingan would give the Raptors the kind of young Poeltl-like center the organization so clearly needed this past year while making Poeltl more expendable.

For an organization that has talked repeatedly about taking the best player available regardless of fit, Clingan could be that prospect if the Raptors manage to keep their top-six protected first-round pick this weekend.