The Portland Trail Blazers made a pair of unsurprising moves on Monday by exercising the third-year options on Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Both Collins and Swanigan are young players with tremendous upside. Both players bolster the frontcourt depth for Portland and they have the potential to develop into consistent contributors.
Collins is further along in his development than Swanigan. The Gonzaga product played 66 games last season, averaging around 15 minutes per night. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. The Sacramento Kings took Collins with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft, but the Trail Blazers acquired the young big in exchange for Justin Jackson and Harry Giles.
Much like Zach Colllins, Caleb Swanigan was a first-round pick from the 2017 draft. But Swanigan didn't see as much time on the court as Collins. The big man from Purdue University only appeared in 27 games with the Trail Blazers and averaged 2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. Swanigan averaged 14.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in the G League with the Canton Charge — the Cleveland Cavaliers' G-League affiliate because Portland is one of the few teams without a G-League affiliate.
Collins and Swanigan will have more of an opportunity in year two. Ed Davis departed for the Brooklyn Nets, opening up some potential playing time on the second unit. Collins and Swanigan will look to stake their claim on a bigger role for Terry Stotts' squad. Portland is hoping they can live up to their first-round hype.