Cole Swider signs with division rival after surprising Pacers departure

On Friday, the Indiana Pacers made a shocking roster move by waiving forward Cole Swider after their final preseason game. Swider signed with the Pacers on a non-guaranteed contract before training camp and looked primed to earn a roster spot, especially after the Pacers waived Kendall Brown. However, the Pacers decided to move on from the Rhode Island native entirely instead.

Just one day after getting waived by the Pacers, Swider has already found himself a new home in the NBA. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Swider has joined the Detroit Pistons on a two-way contract.

In additon to adding Swider, the Pistons also signed guard Alondes Williams to a two-way contract. Both these players will join Daniss Jenkins as Detroit's two-way contract recipients.

Cole Swider signed a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons

Going from a non-guaranteed contract in Indiana to a two-way deal in Detroit could turn out to be a better situation for Swider. It is unlikely that Swider will play much for the Pistons' NBA team. However, having an opportunity to showcase his talents in the G League as opposed to playing spotty minutes at best for the Pacers is good for the 25-year-old.

Swider is no stranger to the G League either. In two seasons split between the South Bay Lakers and the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the forward averaged 19.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Additionally, he shot 51.1% from the field and an incredible 46.1% from beyond the arc. It is clear that Swider has talent. If he can put it together at the NBA level, he could become a legitimate offensive weapon.

Additionally, he is joining a Pistons team that was a poor three-point shooting team just a year ago. Last season, the Pistons shot 34.8% from beyond the arc. This was tied for the fifth-worst mark in the league. Though they added players like Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley in the offseason, there is still a potential role for Swider in Detroit.

Now that Swider is officially gone from the Pacers organization, it will be an interesting development to see what the Pacers do with their open roster spot.

There is a possibility they will keep it open for the time being, especially given that their regular season opener (which is ironically against the Pistons) is just days away. However, there is also a much more enticing option--give the final roster spot to a player like Enrique Freeman.

The rookie showed out in Summer League and preseason and is becoming a major fan favorite in Indiana. While it seems unlikely the Pacers will convert his contract to a standard deal so soon, it is something that the fans want to see happen eventually. Until the Pacers make it clear they intend to do something else with the spot, Freeman is a player to keep an eye on.