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.