The Indiana Pacers have reportedly signed forward Cole Swider to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Free agent G Cole Swider has agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Indiana Pacers, sources tell @ThAthletic @Stadium. Swider had an impressive Summer League for Heat, averaging 13.5 points and 49.1 percent 3-point shooting on nearly seven 3s attempted per game. pic.twitter.com/DkTUkGFN5c
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 3, 2024
Swider, who played college basketball at Villanova and Syracuse, initially joined the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The Rhode Island native spent his first season with the team on a two-way contract.
With the South Bay Lakers of the G League, Swider averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Additionally, he shot 50.6% from the field and 43.6% from beyond the arc.
In July 2023, the Lakers waived Swider. The sharpshooter went on to join the Miami Heat for the 2023-24 season, where he spent much of the year on a two-way contract. Once again spending most of his time in the G League, Swider broke out with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Playing 14 games with the team, Swider led the way in scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game on 51.9% from the field. This includes an incredible 50% from the three-point line on 9.4 attempts per game. Additionally, he averaged 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Furthermore, the 25-year-old played for the Heat's Summer League team this year, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 49.1% from beyond the arc.
Cole Swider's acqusition could spell doom for Kendall Brown
Swider is not the only player on the team with a non-guaranteed contract. Earlier this year, the Pacers re-signed Kendall Brown to a multi-year contract with no guaranteed money.
Brown has spent most of his time with the Pacers since 2022 on a two-way contract. However, with the wing no longer on a two-way contract, he is a candidate to not be on the roster at all when the 2024-25 season starts.
Swider and Brown will likely battle for a roster spot for the rest of the summer into the beginning of the regular season. Both offer completely different styles of play on the court, but they can equally provide a boost to Indiana off the bench. Their roster battle will be worth monitoring the rest of the way,