How are former Boilers doing in the NBA this season?

The 2019-20 NBA season is over halfway through as the league heads into All-Star Weekend in Chicago this weekend. There are three active Boilermakers in the NBA and three who have played in the NBA G-League this season, let’s look at how the Purdue alumni are playing this season.

Boilermakers who have appeared in NBA games this season:

• E’Twaun Moore, G, New Orleans Pelicans: After a stellar career from 2007-2011 in West Lafayette, Moore has been mostly a role player during his career but over the last four years he has found his niche with the New Orleans Pelicans. E’Twaun has scored 11.1 points per game with the Pels and is shooting 40% from three. With the additions of JJ Reddick, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart he has seen a decrease in his playing time but he is still a good scoring option off the bench for New Orleans. So far this season he is putting up 9.5 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 and is shooting 37% from three and is a solid veteran presence for the 23-32 Pelicans who are 11th in the Western Conference.

• Carsen Edwards, G, Boston Celtics: Carsen will go down as one of the best players to go through West Lafayette and is in the hearts of Boilermaker fans everywhere after leading Purdue on a magical run to the Elite 8 last season. In the 2019 NBA Draft, he was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers but was traded on draft night to the Boston Celtics. During the summer league and preseason, Carsen had some great moments which included a 30 point performance where he hit 9 threes in the game. During the 2019-20 season, he has been up and down between the Celtics and their G-League affiliate the Maine Red Claws. For the Celtics he has played in 32 games, averaging 9.3 minutes per game, and 3.0 points per game. Although he has not had much success in Boston, he has been tearing it up in his stints in the G-League. In 12 games playing for the Red Claws, he is averaging 23.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists a game while shooting 44% from the floor. As the season progresses, Carsen will get more opportunities to contribute to Brad Steven’s team.

• Caleb Swanigan, F, Portland Trail Blazers/Sacramento Kings: The Kings traded Biggie back to the team who originally drafted him out of Purdue on January 21st and it has led to an expanded role for the third-year pro. During his time with the Kings this season he had been up and down between the NBA and the G-League Stockton Kings, playing in only 7 games in Sacramento and averaged just 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. When he suited up for Stockton, he played well scoring 8.6 points and grabbing 10 rebounds per contest over 5 games. When he was traded to Portland, his role drastically increased going from just 3.3 minutes a night to 16 with the Trail Blazers and even got a start. His numbers do not jump off the page and he is putting up 3.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, but he gives Terry Stotts solid minutes off the bench each night.

Boilermakers in the NBA G-League:

• Dakota Mathias, G, Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks Affiliate): The Midwestern Cowboy has been putting up numbers this season as a part of the Texas Legends where he is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3 assists per game, and is also shooting 39% from deep. He was named to the 2019-20 Midseason NBA G-League team for the Western Conference, and if the G-League had an All-Star game, he would most definitely be participating in it. Dakota will keep working hard and playing well to stick on with the Mavericks or another NBA team in the future.

• Vincent Edwards, F, Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder Affiliate): Vincent had a great career in his 4 years at Purdue as he was a Big Ten champion and became the first player in Purdue history to put up 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, and 400 assists. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2018 and played in just two games for the Rockets and was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and has played with their G-League team this season. During his time with the Blue, he has averaged 11 points, 5.3 rebounds on 47% shooting from the field and hitting his three’s at a 40% clip, and has done this in about 25 minutes a contest. Vincent has played well in the G-League and figures to get a shot with an NBA club sooner rather than later.

• Isaac Haas, C, Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz Affiliate): The 7’2, 290-pound behemoth from Alabama tore it up for 4 years in gold and black for Matt Painter. He was a Big Ten champion and if not for a fractured elbow against Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament could have been a national champion too. He signed with the Utah Jazz after going undrafted and has been in the G-League since, playing with the Salt Lake City Stars. This season he is playing just 16 minutes per game and is averaging 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57% from the field.