Former First Round NBA Draft Pick Caleb Swanigan Passes Away At 25

Caleb Swanigan won the Big Ten Player of the year during his sophomore season at Purdue. He was considered the top power forward in the nation and was drafted 26th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2017 NBA Draft. Tragically, Caleb passed away on Monday night at the age of 25.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Indiana. They were told that Caleb Swanigan died of natural causes. The Purdue men’s basketball team released a statement on his untimely passing via Twitter.

“Devastated.

Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends.

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The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie.”

Caleb Swanigan played for the Trail Blazers until 2018 when he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He rejoined Portland in 2019, where he was a role player for the Blazers. During the 2020 “bubble” season, he opted out of playing for personal reasons and never returned to the NBA.

Swanigan will be remembered for his incredible high school and college basketball careers as well as his time at the game’s highest level. Sadly, he left us far too soon. The staff at Thirsty sends our condolences out to his friends, family, fans, and teammates in this difficult time.