ESPN 2024 NBA Mock Draft: Clingan Rises to No. 3, Zach Edey to Heat, Bronny Undrafted

A run to the national championship could have UConn center Donovan Clingan locked in the top five of the 2024 NBA draft.

Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN released their latest mock draft Wednesday, with Clingan being selected No. 3 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. Fellow NCAA tournament star Zach Edey also went off the board earlier than some may expect, going No. 15 overall to the Miami Heat.

The draft lottery will be held May 12.

Clingan averaged 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game during the Huskies' run to the national title. After serving as a role player in UConn's 2023 national title, Clingan was the defensive fulcrum in the middle as the Huskies took down every opponent by at least 14 points in their tournament run.

"It will be very hard for me to leave my brothers after all the success these past two years," Clingan wrote on Instagram. "But the time is NOW!!"

Edey, Clingan's opposing center in the title game, averaged 29.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in Purdue's tournament run. He concluded his college career with two straight National Player of the Year honors and has seen his stock rise in what's considered a weaker draft class.

One player that saw his stock fall was USC guard Bronny James, who was considered a lottery pick coming into his freshman year but went undrafted in ESPN's latest mock. James, the son of LeBron James, struggled after returning from a cardiac arrest episode he suffered last summer. He's also currently in the transfer portal.