Sacramento Kings: 5 options for pick No. 34 in 2017 NBA Draft

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Mar 23, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Swanigan (50) shoots during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks in the semifinals of the midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Caleb Swanigan, PF/C, Purdue

2016-17 stats: 35 GP, 18.5 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 3 APG, .4 SPG, .8 BPG, 3.4 TOV, 52.7 FG%, 44.7 3P%, 78.1 FT%

Caleb Swanigan’s journey to the college level is one that’s as harrowing and inspiring as you’ll come across. After a highly productive sophomore season playing with the Boilermakers, Swanigan is on the verge of making what seemed like a virtually impossible dream at one point in time a reality.

The 6’8″, 246-pound Swanigan is incredibly skilled on the offensive end, offering many versatile attributes that are becoming increasingly vital for a player of his size and position. He can back down his matchup to get baskets down low, space the floor to hit three-pointers at a reasonable volume and has a keen eye for setting up teammates for scores.

Thanks to his size and strength, Swanigan is a proficient rebounder on both ends of the floor as he ranked as one of the best rebounders throughout the country this year. Although his stature and bruising physical presence would make one think he struggles with mobility, Swanigan has made considerable strides in his ability to run the floor, which opens up even more scoring opportunities for him in transition.

But as productive as he is offensively, most of the concerns that surround Swanigan lie on the defensive end. Despite having the ideal length, Swanigan struggles to protect the rim due to his limited vertical athleticism and will have to have greatly improve his defense in space when he reaches the next level.

As we wait to see where he ultimately falls in the draft, there is a clear-cut role for Swanigan when he reaches the NBA. Sharing similar traits to traditional big men like Zach Randolph, Greg Monroe and Enes Kanter, Swanigan could follow in their respective footsteps and come off the bench to act as an offensive spark plug.

In order to achieve that, he’ll have to work on refining his offensive repertoire and could see some time in the G-League to do so. That might make him an attractive option at 34 for the Kings, though it would be another addition to an increasingly crowded young frontcourt.

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