2017 NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Suns snag Lonzo Ball; Heat trade up for Fox

Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) controls the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) in the first half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 23, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Swanigan (50) shoots as Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson (11) defends during the second half in the semifinals of the midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

23. Orlando Magic (via Lakers, via Raptors) – Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue

GM: Mason McFee; Twitter: @_Mason_Jar

Why draft a big man when the roster already houses Pau Gasol, Aaron Gordon, Timofey Mozgov, and Stephen Zimmerman? Didn’t you trade Biyombo to clear a bit of that log jam?

Well, the Magic hope that the team’s offseason moves continue to bring them back to relevancy and a trip to the postseason, the team also recognizes that Pau and Mozgov specifically won’t be around forever; so they want to use their experience and veteran leadership to the fullest while they’re here. Whlie Pau has never been a dominant rebounder, he has made a career out of hitting long-jumpers, and, more recently, 3-pointers; something Swanigan showed flashes of this past season, hitting a blistering 44.7% of his long-ball attempts, albeit on 2.4 attempts a game.

He can show Swanigan the ropes and pass the torch when his contract expires after this season. Now, Mozgov is a different story. He has long been knocked for his lack of athleticism and slow moving feet, but has shown flashes of being a rim protector during his brief stint in Cleveland. He can help show Swanigan some tricks he’s learned to stay defensively afloat, and hopefully help mold him into Gordon’s frontcourt mate for the future.