Grizzlies: 3 players worth trading No. 9 pick for ahead of 2024 NBA Draft

Donovan Clingan

The most noteworthy talking point regarding Memphis' interest in trading their ninth overall pick came via a report by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor earlier this month where he revealed that the franchise has already communicated with the Houston Rockets about a potential deal that would have them move up to the fifth spot on the draft board, with many believing it to be an effort to snatch up UConn prospect Donovan Clingan.

Considering his 7-foot-2, 280-pound build and play style, in many ways, the 20-year-old presents himself as the ideal archetype for the Grizzlies' next franchise center.

The highly buzzed-about prospect finds himself coming off his second and final season at the collegiate level where he recorded averages of 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while leading the Wildcats to their second-straight NCAA Championship.

Frequently drawing comparisons to past and present NBA All-Stars such as Roy Hibbert and Rudy Gobert, Clingan projects to be a physically imposing paint protector and shot rejector, which, on a team already sporting finesse talents and high-octane scorers like Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., may be exactly what the Grizzlies need to add to their starting lineup.

Layer on the fact that recent intel suggests his long-range shooting game has been turning heads during his individual pre-draft workouts, and it should be a no-brainer idea that the Grizzlies would consider coughing up their ninth overall pick in exchange for his services.