What Happened to Biggie Swanigan's NBA Career and Where Is He Now?

I remember sitting in the bleachers during a particularly heated PBA game back in 2019, watching June Mar Fajondo and Greg Slaughter battle in the paint while my friend leaned over and whispered, "You know who this reminds me of? Biggie Swanigan." The name hit me like a freight train - I hadn't thought about the former Purdue star in years. That moment got me digging into what exactly happened to Biggie Swanigan's NBA career and where he might be now.

The contrast between Swanigan's college dominance and his professional struggles still fascinates me. Here was a player who averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds during his sophomore year at Purdue, winning practically every major college basketball honor you can name. The Portland Trail Blazers saw enough potential to select him 26th overall in the 2017 draft, but something just never clicked at the professional level. I've always believed some players are built for the college game in ways that don't translate to the NBA - the physicality, the different defensive schemes, the sheer speed of the game. Swanigan seemed to struggle with all of it despite having every physical tool you'd want in a modern big man.

What struck me most during my research was how his story parallels what we sometimes see in other leagues around the world. I was covering the Philippine Basketball Association's all-Filipino conference last year, watching the technical fouls pile up for players who were clearly frustrated with their limited roles. And so, 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. That kind of frustration mounting from unmet expectations - I can't help but wonder if Swanigan experienced similar moments during his brief NBA stints. The mental aspect of basketball often gets overlooked when we analyze why highly-touted prospects don't pan out.

Swanigan's NBA journey took him from Portland to Sacramento and back to Portland again within just three seasons. The numbers tell part of the story - he appeared in just 75 total games, averaging 2.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in about 10 minutes per game. But statistics never capture the full picture. I remember watching him during a G-League game in 2019, and what stood out to me was how his game hadn't evolved to match the modern NBA's demands. He was still trying to bully players in the post when the league had fully embraced pace, space, and perimeter-oriented big men. His three-point shooting hovered around 28% - not terrible, but not good enough to force defenders to respect him on the perimeter.

The personal challenges Swanigan faced were equally significant. His weight fluctuated dramatically throughout his career, reportedly swinging by 30-40 pounds at times between seasons. Having covered basketball for fifteen years, I've seen how difficult it can be for young players to maintain professional conditioning when they're bouncing between leagues, cities, and roles. The mental toll of constantly proving yourself while never finding stability - it wears on players in ways we rarely appreciate from the outside.

Where is Biggie Swanigan now? This is where the story takes a turn that many former athletes would recognize. After his last NBA appearance in 2020, he spent time in the G-League before eventually stepping away from professional basketball entirely. From what I've gathered through various basketball connections, he's returned to his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he's been working with youth basketball programs and focusing on personal wellness. There's something poetic about that transition - from the bright lights of the NBA to making an impact in the community where his basketball journey began.

I can't help but reflect on how we measure success in sports. We tend to view careers like Swanigan's through the lens of unmet potential, but making it to the NBA at all represents an incredible achievement that less than 1% of college basketball players ever reach. His story reminds me that behind every "what happened to" narrative lies a complex human experience - the adjustments to different coaching styles, the challenge of finding your role, the personal growth that happens away from the court. Sometimes the most interesting basketball stories aren't about championships or All-Star appearances, but about the journeys that teach us something about perseverance, adaptation, and ultimately, ourselves.