Deandre Ayton was on the hot seat in Portland after the Trail Blazers invested consecutive first-round picks at the center position, signaling that the franchise didn't view him as the long-term starting solution. The Blazers and Ayton parted ways this offseason, reaching a contract buyout in late June.
Ayton agreed to forfeit $10 million of his remaining $35.6 million salary with the Blazers. While that was financially beneficial, the primary motivation behind this decision from Portland's standpoint was to clear a starting role and minutes for Donovan Clingan. He's already justifying that decision, showing improvements across the board in Year 2.
Blazers were wise to clear the path for Donovan Clingan
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This season, Clingan is averaging 10.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. That doesn't even paint the whole picture for the two-way impact he has on this roster. Cling Kong is one of the most dominant interior forces in the association, leading the way with an offensive rebound rate of 15.7%. That's with Portland [not even playing to his strengths](https://ripcityproject.com/draft-guru-says-quiet-part-loud-donovan-clingan-role) on the offensive end, often having him float out on the perimeter, where he attempts 2.8 threes a game at just 24.1%.
He's already a starting-caliber center at 21 years old, thanks to his elite rebounding and rim protection. But that's the thing: there's more untapped potential here than meets the eye. If Clingan can expand his offensive arsenal to become a true floor-spacing threat, taking a similar career arc to someone like Brook Lopez, he could become one of the best bigs in the league.
Ayton was _fine_ in Portland. He didn't meet expectations as a former No. 1 overall pick, and the Blazers hoped a change of scenery would unlock the potential that made him a coveted prospect in the first place. But he still averaged a double-double in both seasons.
It wasn't that he wasn't a starting-caliber center of his own; it had more to do with the fact that, two seasons later, Portland finally had a significant enough sample size to know who he is as a player. A competent starter, sure. But one that [had its own limitations](https://ripcityproject.com/lakers-learning-blazers-happy-dump-deandre-ayton) in the form of inconsistent effort and a lack of on-court awareness.
Clingan has already proven he can be that key piece of a winning formula, as evidenced by his back-to-back NCAA national championships with UConn. The Blazers know precisely what they are getting out of Clingan, making him a reliable building block. He keeps getting better, too, which should make Portland feel comfortable investing in him going forward.
The Blazers have found their identity this season as a physical, defensive-minded team. Clingan is quietly the anchor that makes this entire winning formula work. The Blazers were right to make him a priority over Ayton, and the gap between the two centers should only continue to widen.