Donovan Clingan is quickly proving that Portland may have struck gold at No. 7 in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a class that was widely considered light on star power, the Trail Blazers landed a player who looks like a foundational piece for their rebuild - a rare win in a year full of question marks.
Clingan, the 7-footer out of UConn, wasn’t just the safe pick - he’s turning out to be the right one. Portland could’ve gone in a flashier direction, with plenty of buzz surrounding Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham leading up to draft night. But instead of chasing upside, the Blazers went with substance, and it’s already paying off.
Meanwhile, Dillingham’s NBA journey has taken a sharp turn. Drafted right after Clingan, he was originally selected by the San Antonio Spurs before being flipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a draft-day deal. But less than a season into his pro career, Dillingham is already on the move again - this time to Chicago, as part of a deadline deal that sent Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips to Minnesota.
That trade says a lot. The Timberwolves didn’t just move on from Dillingham - they included Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to make the deal happen.
In return, they got Dosunmu, a guard who’s already making an impact in Minnesota’s rotation. That’s a clear signal: Minnesota is prioritizing players who can contribute right now, and Dillingham wasn’t checking that box.
From Portland’s perspective, this only reinforces how sharp their decision was. In a league that’s moving away from undersized, scoring-first guards who struggle defensively, Clingan brings something that’s increasingly rare and incredibly valuable - size, rim protection, and a defensive presence that anchors a team. He’s not just fitting in, he’s helping set the tone.
Chicago, on the other hand, took a very different approach at the deadline. They loaded up on young guards - including Dillingham, Collin Sexton, and Jaden Ivey - and second-round picks, creating a logjam of players with overlapping skill sets and uncertain futures. It’s a puzzling strategy, especially given how little market value many of those guards currently have.
The idea of “buying low” only works if there’s a realistic path for a player’s value to bounce back. For Dillingham, that’s far from a guarantee.
He’s still just 21, but the league moves fast. At some point, potential has to turn into production.
Otherwise, that “upside” label starts to wear thin.
Minnesota’s urgency to compete now played a big role in the move, but it also suggests that Dillingham wasn’t progressing in a way that matched their timeline. In contrast, Portland is building patiently - and with Clingan, they’ve got a player who fits both the present and the future.
So while the Bulls take a swing on a group of guards who may or may not pan out, the Blazers are watching their rookie big man blossom into a core piece. In a draft class with more questions than answers, Portland might’ve found one of the few sure things.