"Bulls next Joakim Noah" "It’s 'chatter' season": Fans react to UConn's Donovan Clingan reportedly getting attention from 3 NBA teams
Donovan Clingan's continued success with the Connecticut Huskies makes him one of the most desired picks in the draft. In the latest update by Jonathan Givony, the star center has garnered interest from multiple NBA teams, including the Portland Trailblazers, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls.
The teams have the seventh, ninth and eleventh picks, respectively, to start the draft and lack a dependable presence of a center on their rosters. While Portland has Deandre Ayton, the Grizzlies have Jaren Jackson Jr. and Chicago has Nikola Vucevic, any of these teams can use a fresh face in the paint.
Clingan's increased stock has people talking on X:
"Bulls next Joakim Noah," one fan quipped.
Noah is one of the best defensive anchors the Bulls have grown in recent times. He was deemed untouchable by the franchise during trades and was the NBA's 2014 Defensive Player of the Year.
Another user opined that Clingan's increasing stock is simply speculation and will not culminate in him becoming a promising player:
"It’s 'chatter' season."
"A waste of money," another fan said.
Some fans see the potential in Donovan Clingan:
"Memphis would be terrific spot," a Grizzlies follower replied.
"I could see him in Portland," a fan chimed in.
"OMG PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE😭 I have no faith In AKME making this trade that’ll help this organization but please," a Bulls fan wrote.
Teams could use Donovan Clingan as an asset
The San Antonio Spurs have two top-10 picks (fourth and eighth) in the draft and can swoop in on Donovan Clingan's NBA entry. While fans would love to see a towering duo of Clingan and Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are looking for an offense orchestrator at this time.
As multiple teams eye Clingan, the Grizzlies and Bulls may lean towards securing the rights to the young athlete early. They can trade their picks and sweeten the deal by adding future assets or established role players.
However, the price would be much higher for the Trailblazers because they have the seventh say in the draft. If the team wants to secure Donovan Clingan early, they would likely need to make a larger offer for the Spurs to trade in their fourth pick.