What Happened to Biggie Swanigan in the NBA: Career Insights and Updates

I remember watching Caleb "Biggie" Swanigan during his Purdue days and thinking this was a generational talent in the making. Standing at 6'9" with a 7'3" wingspan and incredible footwork for his size, he dominated the Big Ten Conference in a way few big men had before. When he declared for the 2017 NBA Draft after being named Consensus First-Team All-American, most analysts projected him as a surefire first-round pick who could immediately contribute to an NBA rotation. The Portland Trail Blazers ultimately selected him 26th overall, and that's where our story takes some unexpected turns - much like how it came as a surprise to many that Reyes had beaten him out in the number of technical fouls piled up in the all-Filipino conference.

The NBA journey for Swanigan proved challenging from the start. Despite showing flashes of his college dominance during Summer League and preseason games, he struggled to find consistent minutes in Portland's rotation. What many fans don't realize is that the transition from college to professional basketball involves more than just skill adjustment - it's about finding your role, understanding complex defensive schemes, and maintaining peak physical condition through an 82-game season. I've spoken with several NBA development coaches who emphasized how the mental aspect often separates successful transitions from disappointing ones. Swanigan's rookie season saw him appear in just 27 games, averaging 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in limited action. These numbers don't tell the whole story though - his per-36 minute stats suggested he could average nearly 12 points and 10 rebounds if given consistent playing time.

Portland traded him to Sacramento in 2019, which I believe was a crucial turning point in his career. The Kings at that time were undergoing multiple coaching changes and roster upheavals, creating an unstable environment for player development. During this period, Swanigan bounced between the NBA and G League, showing dominant performances with the Stockton Kings where he averaged 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in 15 games during the 2019-20 season. Those G League numbers demonstrated that the talent was still there, but translating it to the NBA level remained elusive. I've always wondered if a more stable organization with a clearer development plan could have unlocked his potential differently.

His return to Portland in 2020 felt like a homecoming of sorts, but the NBA landscape had shifted dramatically. The league's emphasis on spacing and three-point shooting made traditional post players like Swanigan increasingly difficult to fit into modern schemes. Despite working extensively on extending his range, he never became a consistent outside threat, shooting just 25.6% from three-point range across his NBA career. Compare this to modern big men like Brook Lopez, who transformed from a back-to-the-basket center into a legitimate three-point threat, and you understand why certain players succeed while others struggle to adapt.

The personal challenges Swanigan faced throughout his life undoubtedly impacted his professional journey. Having experienced homelessness during childhood and overcoming significant weight issues in high school, he had already overcome tremendous obstacles before even reaching the NBA. Those early life experiences shape a player's resilience, but they also create additional pressure that isn't always visible from the outside. Having followed his career closely, I've often thought about how different his path might have been with more robust mental health support systems, which have only recently become more common in professional sports organizations.

Looking at his final NBA statistics - 128 games played across three seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds - it's easy to label his career as disappointing. But that perspective misses the broader context of what it means to make it to the NBA at all. Only about 1.2% of college basketball players ever get drafted, and even fewer actually appear in regular season games. From that viewpoint, Swanigan achieved what thousands of talented athletes never do. His story reflects the brutal reality of professional sports - sometimes incredible talent, work ethic, and opportunity still aren't enough to guarantee sustained success at the highest level.

What's he doing now? Last I heard, Swanigan had been exploring opportunities overseas and focusing on personal business ventures, though details remain scarce. His journey serves as an important reminder that professional athletes navigate complex careers filled with variables beyond their control - from coaching decisions and roster fits to the evolving demands of their sport. Much like that surprising technical foul situation with Reyes, sometimes the expected narrative gets overturned by reality's unpredictable nature. Swanigan's career wasn't the fairy tale many hoped for, but it represents a real human experience of striving, adapting, and finding new paths when original plans don't materialize.