Spurs Draft Deep Dive: Donovan Clingan and the Kawhi Leonard Trade
Donovan Clingan could be a surprise pick by the Spurs (Photo via Twitter)
Once upon a time, when the San Antonio Spurs were looking to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, it was assumed that the Spurs would ask for wings Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby in return for their superstar wing. Instead of either Siakam or Anunoby (or both), San Antonio ended up getting center Jakob Poeltl from the Raptors instead — even though center wasn’t a position of need at the time.
In the 2024 NBA Draft, something similar could happen. Everyone assumes that the Spurs will go with perimeter players … but could San Antonio instead go with Donovan Clingan, a very Poeltl-like center out of UConn?
Obviously, we don’t know if the Spurs asked for Siakam or Anunoby in the Leonard trade. But, either way, the Spurs still saw value in Poeltl even though he wasn’t filling a pressing need.
Due to the presence of Victor Wembanyama, picking Clingan has to be considered unlikely. But, if history teaches us anything, we shouldn’t completely discount the chances of the Spurs selecting Clingan.
The Case For the Spurs Drafting Donovan Clingan
Models of the analytical variety are in love with Clingan. Even after his relatively quiet freshman season, the models insisted he was a lottery pick. After his sophomore campaign, only Reed Sheppard grades out higher. From his counting stats to his impact numbers, Clingan looks like a surefire NBA player across the board.
When watching Clingan play, the first thing that you’ll notice is that he’s massive. He’s a legit 7-foot-3-in-shoes and a sturdy 282 pounds. Add in his 7-foot-7 wingspan and his 9-foot-7 standing reach and he’s certifiably a gigantic human being.
The more you watch Clingan, the more talented you realize he is on the basketball court. He’s very smart on both ends of the court. Offensively, those smarts translate to a high rate of assists and very few mistakes. Not many young seven-footers have anywhere close to his basketball IQ.
Not only does he know the game, Clingan is a competitor. Finding seven-footers who compete at a high level is more difficult than it sounds.
Could Clingan one day be a shooter? Probably not but there has been buzz lately that he has shot well in the lead up to the draft. Clingan does have good touch around the rim so there’s a chance that he could extend his range.
Defensively, Clingan is not a plodder. He can defend on the interior but he’s also able to move his feet out on the perimeter. It’s not hyperbolic to state that he has a chance to be a top ten defensive center in the league by the end of his rookie campaign.
The two national championships he won at UConn can’t be dismissed. He played an important role on both teams and his combination of size, competitiveness and brains was difficult for teams to deal with at the college level.
The Case Against the Spurs Drafting Donovan Clingan
At this point, Clingan qualifies as a traditional center. In today’s NBA, traditional centers have never been less valuable.
Clingan can’t space the court now and probably never will. He’s not a center who can legitimately defend multiple positions. He’s not immobile but he’s also not going to win games with dynamic athleticism.
In the low block, Clingan only has rudimentary moves, which could make it difficult for him to punish mismatches.
Donovan Clingan’s Fit with the Spurs
In a vacuum, Clingan will likely go down as a good pick in this draft. Unfortunately, his fit on the Spurs is highly questionable. Victor Wembanyama will likely always function best as a center. Putting a traditional center next to him who can’t spread the court doesn’t sound like a winning formula.
Clingan could be a great backup but should the Spurs really use a lottery pick on a backup center behind Wembanyama? That doesn’t sound like top tier asset management.
Final Thoughts on the Spurs Drafting Donovan Clingan
In a draft chock-full of flawed prospects, Clingan stands out as a strong bet to succeed. However, the Spurs drafting Clingan with hopes of him developing into a Poeltl++ is a risky strategy. San Antonio would have to bet on Wembanyama becoming a power forward or being able to trade Clingan for a lottery pick level asset at some point down the road.