The Portland Trail Blazers have been quiet since the 2024 NBA Draft. They didn’t sign a single free agent and already have all 15 roster spots accounted for. If they don’t make a trade between now and October, they will enter the preseason with Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija being the only two additions to their roster. But those two players alone make for a successful offseason for the Blazers and general manager Joe Cronin. Clingan and Avdija fill specific needs for the Blazers’ roster, giving Portland a clearer sense of direction as they navigate their rebuild.
Clingan Complements Blazers’ Backcourt
Everything that made Clingan an intriguing draft prospect translated to the Las Vegas Summer League. The Blazers went 3-2 overall, and Clingan played in four of the five games, receiving All-Summer League Second Team honors. To say he was impactful is an understatement – the UConn big man averaged 9.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 4.3 blocks per game. His rebounding average was the highest in all of Summer League this year, while his block average was the highest in Summer League history, surpassing Victor Wembanyama.
As anticipated, Clingan’s physical tools as a 7-foot-2 center who moves well for his size contributed to his elite rebounding and rim protection in Vegas. That should continue to be the case for the Blazers as they enter the preseason and regular season games.
Clingan is unpolished offensively. He tried showcasing his ability to stretch the floor in Vegas but only shot 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. Clingan attempted 3.3 threes a game – that volume should drastically decrease as the Blazers play more meaningful basketball games. It’s encouraging that his form looks solid and that he views himself as someone who can space the floor, but it also seems like he’s a few years away from it being a consistent part of his offensive arsenal. That will be a crucial development for Clingan, especially since the Blazers up-and-coming backcourt of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe are incredibly athletic and prefer to attack the paint.
Clingan also doesn’t seem ready to be a focal point of the offense, at least in terms of post-touches and isolation situations. But he’s already a great rim-runner and will provide another target for Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and others in pick-and-roll situations. He should also benefit from having better guard play to provide him with easy opportunities around the rim.
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Clingan’s game is his passing. He consistently made the correct read in Summer League and was great at finding cutters when he had the ball at the high post. That’s going to be electric to watch when Sharpe is on the receiving end of those passes.
Clingan’s minutes may be more limited than other rookies selected in the lottery, especially since the Blazers currently have a center logjam with Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath on their roster. But when he is in, look for Clingan to impact winning in multiple ways outside of scoring with his rebounding, rim protection, and passing.
In the long term, Clingan will likely work his way into the starting lineup one way or another, especially as he continues to improve offensively. He complements the Blazers’ young core too well not to give him a more prominent role eventually.
Avdija Fills Multiple Needs For Rip City
After finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 21-61 record, it’s apparent that the Blazers needed to upgrade multiple aspects of their roster. Deni Avdija is an ideal addition as a versatile forward with a well-rounded game that can contribute in various ways, including shooting, playmaking, defense, and rebounding. Given the significant trade assets the Blazers gave up to acquire Avdija, they have high expectations for him as their long-term answer at small forward.
At 23 years old, he fits in perfectly with their rebuilding timeline. And they may have gotten him at the right time before his trade value increased. He’s coming off the best season of his young career with the Washington Wizards, averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 51/37/74 shooting splits.
Besides his free throw shooting, every statistical category mentioned was a career-high for Avdija. The most significant improvement was in his three-point shooting, going from 29.7 percent in the 2022-23 season to 37.4 percent this past season. Avdija needs to maintain a similar percentage. If he regresses to his old shooting ways, it will be a murky fit for the Blazers, who finished last in the league in three-point efficiency at 34.5 percent. But given the fact that this is only his fifth NBA season, there’s reason for optimism that Avdija will only continue to get better as a shooter.
He can contribute either off-ball as a spot-up shooter or on-ball as an offensive initiator. The Blazers will likely rely on Avdija as a secondary or tertiary playmaker, depending on the combination of guards on the court between the trio of Simons, Henderson, and Sharpe. He’s a better playmaker than Sharpe at this point in their careers.
Avdija is also an underrated defender who uses his 6-foot-9 frame and agility to guard multiple positions. He’s a solid rebounder for his position – between him and Clingan, the Blazers have two excellent rebounders to compensate for their undersized backcourt.
The Blazers are early in their rebuild, but Clingan and Avdija are promising additions. They already had enough score-first players and did a great job of acquiring more versatile players who can impact winning without constantly needing the ball, complementing their young guards exceptionally well.
