Nathan Baird

Journal & Courier

Swanigan said he will work out for Brooklyn on Thursday and the Orlando Magic on May 22.

Swanigan also said he had sit-down meetings with 14 teams at last week's NBA Draft Combine.

Players who have not hired agents can withdraw from the NBA Draft by May 24 and return to school.

INDIANAPOLIS — If Purdue's Caleb Swanigan showed nothing else during Monday's workout, the Indiana Pacers could see he is in shape.

In only blue shorts and a white Pacers T-shirt, Swanigan bounced around the perimeter during a shooting drill in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse practice facility. The 6-9 power forward, who typically wore multiple layers including hooded sweatshirts in his Boilermaker workouts, said later he's dropped about 10 pounds since the end of the season.

Swanigan believes he improved on everything the Pacers and other NBA teams wanted to see one year ago when they advised him to return to school. Some are so impressed that they've told him he should stay in this year's draft. The reigning Big Ten Conference Player of the Year greatly enhanced his draft stock. There's no guarantee he would climb much higher with a repeat performance.

However, Swanigan remains enrolled at Purdue, taking a math class and possibly Spanish this summer. On Monday he didn't sound like a man convinced he must make the jump now.

"Any kid that wants to play in the NBA hears something like that, you should take it as an opportunity," Swanigan said of a potential first-round grade. "At the same time, guys like (Tim) Duncan, guys like Klay Thompson, Steph (Curry), they spent three years in college. So there's no rush. It's more of me feeling sure that team is serious about me and actually has a plan for me."

Compared to a year ago, Swanigan seems more at ease with the positives of either decision he might make in the next 10 days. His breakthrough performance and the Boilermakers' accompanying team success didn't hurt. However, the 2015 Indiana Mr. Basketball attributed the new perspective to his maturation and "losing a sense of entitlement."

He's also clearly a better player — something he displayed with a solid perimeter shooting performance at the end of the workout. Swanigan missed his first handful of shots from the corner. As he warmed up, moving without the ball to spot up or sliding around screens, he started hitting more regularly from NBA 3-point range.

In one portion he hit 6 of 7 from the corner, telling one shot to "Get in there," and addressing the ball by an unprintable name. When the workout ended, Swanigan went to the other end of the floor and made 2 of 5 from about five feet behind the arc.

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Swanigan believes his productivity this season — 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists, numbers only previously achieved by Duncan — speaks for itself. Consistency from NBA 3-point range is one of the main things he must display in workouts over the next 10 days. Swanigan shot 44.7 percent from college 3-point range last season.

"He's a versatile guy that can stretch the floor," said Iowa State guard Monte Morris, who faced Swanigan in the second round of March's NCAA Midwest Regional in Milwaukee and also participated in Monday's workout. "I've seen his body change, so he's a hard worker."

The Pacers personnel putting Swanigan through that shooting routine at the end of the workout shared encouraging words. Indiana picks No. 18 in the first round and 48 in the second — slightly outside either side of the window most often predicted for Swanigan.

Swanigan said he admired the franchise even when growing up in Utah. He wants to provide the same grit he admired in Jermaine O'Neal, David West and Ron Artest. However, he also has to hang competitively.

"I'm considered an undersized guy that can shoot and I can bang with a 5," Swanigan said. "I believe that helps teams tremendously, if you've got a guy that can be a horse but also get on the other side and dribble and be a playmaker, make good decisions with the ball and knock down corner 3s off pick and rolls."

Swanigan, who took his decision right up to the deadline last year, reiterated he's not working on a timeline. He plans to work out for Brooklyn on Thursday and Orlando on May 22. That's two days prior to the deadline for players who have not hired an agent to withdraw from the draft and return to school with eligibility.

This continuing pragmatism keeps in line with the approach Swanigan's camp has taken every step along the way, from reclassifying in high school to picking Purdue to returning to school a year ago.

However, there may also be unfinished business in West Lafayette.

"We want to win a national championship," Swanigan said. "That's going to be our goal and that's how we will carry ourselves, just like we tried to do last year."

Reach Journal & Courier Purdue basketball reporter Nathan Baird at nbaird@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @nbairdjc.