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Former title-winning UConn backup reunites with Donovan Clingan
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- Former title-winning UConn backup reunites with Donovan Clingan
Samson Johnson was pretty successful in his role backing up Donovan Clingan while at UConn, as the big man pairing helped the Huskies win the 2024 national championship.
Now, the two will be reunited as Johnson signed with the Portland Trail Blazers .
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Portland's G League team, the Rip City Remix, which also plays in Portland, Ore., first acquired Johnson's rights in a trade with Indiana's G League team, the Noblesville Boom. Johnson played 33 games for Noblesville last season and averaged 9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting a video-game-like 70 percent from the field.
The 6-10 center signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Indiana last season and has not appeared in an NBA game in his career. He went undrafted in 2025 after averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his senior season at UConn.
Originally from Togo, Johnson developed into a solid rotation player for the Huskies, stepping into Clingan's role as backup big man after Adama Sanogo left following the 2023-24 season. After Clingan left in 2024, Johnson became the starter and averaged 19 minutes per game as the 2024-25 Huskies finished 24-11 and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson won two national titles in his time in Storrs.
