NBA Draft 2024 Rumors: Donovan Clingan's Potential Seen 'in the Realm of' Rudy Gobert

The 2024 NBA draft class is not seen as elite, but UConn center Donovan Clingan seemingly has some big fans around the league.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo spoke to some Clingan fans who believe he could have an impact similar to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. While it's unlikely Clingan will win four Defensive Player of the Year awards, he's considered a more versatile offensive player who could potentially stretch beyond the three-point line.

Woo also compared Clingan to Brook Lopez, who rejuvenated his game with a mid-career improvement as a shooter.

Clingan averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game last season at UConn, helping lead the Huskies to their second straight national title. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman currently has Clingan projected as the No. 6 overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets and No. 11 overall player on his board.

"I feel like the energy I bring in the locker room, on the floor, I've got a resume where I've won two national titles," Clingan told reporters at the combine. "I feel I can bring a different type of energy into a locker room, lift a team up and connect all the guys together."

At the very least, Clingan is a large body and talented rim protector who can play 20-25 minutes and finish near the rim. In a draft where there aren't many surefire starters, getting a player who is a borderline lock to be a contributor should be considered a win.

Clingan's ceiling just likely isn't high enough to send him much higher than he already is on boards.