Skal Labissiere was one of the highest rated players in his high school class, but fell in the draft to the bottom of the first round. He’s shown flashes with the Kings — he has potential to a quality modern NBA four who can space the floor on offense and still protect the rim on defense — but he has not been consistent and others (Harry Giles) have passed him in the rotation. Labissiere has only gotten in 13 games for the Kings all season.
Portland’s Caleb Swanigan impressed some at Summer League as a big man who had the potential develop into a quality role player in the NBA, but he’s never really done that in Portland. He looks lost most of the time. He’s only gotten in 18 games for the Blazers this season and averaged 1.9 points a game when he does.
Portland and the Kings decided to trade their underwhelming big men.
The Kings have traded Skal Labissiere to the Blazers for Caleb Swanigan, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 7, 2019
This is not a trade that moves the needle for either team on the court. It’s more of a “maybe if this guy is in a different environment things will change for him” kind of trade. In theory, the Blazers can save a little money because there are fewer years on Labissiere’s deal compared to Swanigan’s, but Swanigan has team options after next season, while Labissiere has a qualifying offer for the summer of 2020 and the Blazers can just let him walk. So it’s really a wash.
We’ll see if either of these guys thrives in a new home.