SACRAMENTO -- The Kings continue their roster overhaul. 30 minutes before the NBA's trade deadline, Sacramento dealt big man Skal Labissiere to the Portland Trail Blazers for Caleb Swanigan.
The Kings later confirmed the deal.
Taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Labissiere has struggled to find time in the Kings' crowded frontline. The Haitian-born center/power forward is a tireless worker, but his days were numbered when Sacramento added Marvin Bagley III on draft night and Nemanja Bjelica late in free agency.
With a glut of bigs on the roster, Labissiere has played just 113 minutes over 13 games for the Kings this season after posting 8.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game during the 2017-18 season.
Skal thanked the Kings and their fans after the trade was completed.
Sacramento! Words can't describe how thankful I am for the opportunity that God gave me to play for this organization! I will forever cherish my time as a Sacramento King! The support from those within the organization was amazing, starting with all the people behind the scenes— Skal Lab (@OneBigHaitian) February 8, 2019
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Like Labissiere, Swanigan has found the transition to the NBA difficult. At 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, he is a big body that can give Sacramento a different look against some of the league's stronger post players.
Taken 26th overall in 2017, Swanigan has played a total of 45 games for the Blazers over his first two seasons in the league, averaging 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game.
The 21-year-old was a monster at Purdue, but with Jusuf Nurkic roaming the paint in Portland, he hasn't been able to live up to his first-round pick status.
