The Portland Trail Blazers made one of the biggest trades of the offseason on Monday, landing two-time All-Star Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies. In exchange, the Blazers sent out Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, landing one of the NBA‘s most exciting young guards without having to part ways with a single draft pick.
Portland now has a lethal backcourt duo of Morant and Damian Lillard, alongside All-Star breakout Deni Avdija, athletic combo guard and former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, and coveted 3-and-D wing Toumani Camara. That doesn’t even include steady vet Jrue Holiday or rising star Shaedon Sharpe.
But with four lead guards in Morant, Lillard, Henderson, and Holiday, there’s already speculation that the Blazers could be in the market to make another blockbuster trade, potentially for former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. If they do, though, it won’t involve one player who Portland now essentially views as “off limits” in any trade, center Donovan Clingan, according to The Athletic’s Jason Quick.
“One thing has become certain about the Trail Blazers after Monday’s trade for point guard Ja Morant: Portland center Donovan Clingan is now essentially off limits in trade talks, according to a team source,” Quick wrote. “With the Blazers acquiring Morant, and welcoming the return of Damian Lillard this season, the need for Clingan’s elite rim protection has become so valuable that the team considers Clingan an essential piece to making the backcourt pairing work.”
Clingan, a 22-year-old center standing 7-foot-2 and 280 pounds, was drafted No. 7 overall in 2024 out of UConn, where he won back-to-back national titles playing under Dan Hurley. Not only is he a proven winner, but he’s young, ascending, and gives Portland what every contender in the Western Conference is fighting for right now, a true rim protector to anchor the paint.
We just watched 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama lead the Spurs to the NBA Finals, knocking out 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren and the Thunder in the process. And then there’s the Nuggets’ 7-foot Nikola Jokic, who’s already won three league MVPs and an NBA title in 2023. If Portland views itself as a championship contender, that’s who they’ll have to get past.
Clingan has only been in the league for two years, but he’s already shown his value. He’s coming off a strong second season with the Blazers in which he averaged 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds (third in the NBA), and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 52% from the floor. And unlike other elite rim protectors like Rudy Gobert or Walker Kessler, Clingan’s already developed a 3-point shot, knocking down 34.1% of his shots from long range last season, on 3.2 attempts per game.
If Morant rediscovers his downhill burst and shores up his inconsistent jumper, Clingan could become Portland’s most valuable interior piece as they climb into contention.