Thunder considering move to land young 7-foot-2 center: Report

Though the OKC Thunder managed to achieve ample success with Chet Holmgren manning the pivot position in just his first season in the association, many believe Sam Presti and company still should consider bringing on extra big bodies to bolster their size and add more physicality to their rather slender frontcourt.

From rising studs to established stars, since being eliminated from the 2024 postseason there have been a slew of names tabbed as potential options for Oklahoma City to consider pursuing in their efforts to fill out their big man depth.

However, recent rumblings suggest they could be open to addressing these desires via the upcoming NBA Draft, as Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN recently reported that the Thunder may be considering the idea of moving up to land standout prospect, Donovan Clingan.

Thunder interested in moving up in draft to land Donovan Clingan

"Clingan isn't expected to drop past the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7, whom he just visited for a private workout as well. He is being discussed among teams as a possible target for the likes of Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City or Utah, who all might explore trading up for a player in his mold."

- Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo

Following his tremendous sophomore campaign with the UConn Huskies that saw him post impressive two-way averages of 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 63.9 percent from the floor, and helped guide the university to their second-straight NCAA Championship, Clingan has established himself as a top-flight lottery prospect in this year's draft class.

And while the Thunder do hold the rights to the 12 overall selection, considering the recent rumblings of how strong the big man's individual workouts have been, over the past few weeks he has found his projected draft status rising from being considered a five to eight pick to a potential top-three selection, thus meaning the team would need to move up if they have any desires of adding Clingan to their roster.

With his size (7-foot-2, 280 pounds), rim-protecting skills, and reported improvements in the long-range shooting department, there are many reasons to believe the 20-year-old could be a sound fit for Oklahoma City's scheme. Unfortunately for them, the same cannot be as easily said when it relates to the prospects that will presumably be available should they stay put at 12 overall.