Houston Rockets could benefit from rising stock of UConn’s Donovan Clingan

One of the Houston Rockets’ top draft prospects with the third overall pick could be Donovan Clingan, a 7-foot-3 center and two-time national champion from UConn. He will likely be considered among the top two picks, held by the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.

With Clingan highly regarded, it was recently reported that a group of teams could consider trading up in the draft to select the former Huskies center.

Clingan spent two seasons playing college basketball and, as mentioned, won a national title in both campaigns. He’s going to be an incredible anchor for some NBA teams.

For the Rockets, this presents some opportunities. They can either select the 7-footer themselves, assuming the Hawks and Wizards lean toward Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, the consensus top two picks given the teams selected so far, or trade with one suitors looking to secure the former Huskies center.

Among the teams potentially considering moving up the center ladder are the Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz. Each of these teams could potentially be trade partners for the Rockets, who could then trade up in the draft while adding additional value to the team.

If the Rockets decide to stay up, other popular selections via the mock draft are Clingan’s UConn teammate in Stephon Castle and Kentucky star Reed Sheppard, who are both guards. Selecting Clingan and choosing to play big in the draft would have a ripple effect for Houston.

Right now, the team has a borderline star at center in Alperen Sengun. The problem? Given Sengun’s skill set, the offense should be built around him. His defense isn’t good, so his value is best suited offensively.

Well, the Rockets have guards like Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, not two players best suited to playing around a ball-dominant big man. However, Clingan’s drafting would complement both of these elements. Then the team could trade Sengun for incredible value, helping the team adapt to a defensive style of play and providing direction toward building around Green as a guard.

So either the Rockets can find supreme value in trading for teams looking to select Clingan before, say, the Portland Trail Blazers select him with the No. 7 pick, or they can draft him, thereby helping their management as a franchise and shaping their team. identify.

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