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Lakers officially waive two-way forward Cole Swider

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated27 Jul 2023

Los Angeles Lakers officially waive two-way forward Cole Swider

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially waived two-way forward Cole Swider, per sources. Swider, 24, went undrafted out of Syracuse University in July 2022 and signed a two-way contract with the Lakers.

Swider appeared in seven games with the Lakers in the 2022-23 season, averaging 1.3 points, 1.0 rebound, and 5.9 minutes per game. The 6-foot-9 forward made 19 starts in 27 games with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA G-League affiliate.

Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the Los Angeles Lakers hold seventh-shortest odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Sportsbooks show better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.


Cole Swider made his Lakers debut in Los Angeles’ 123-109 regular-season opener loss to Golden State on Oct. 18. The forward recorded one rebound and one assist in two minutes off the bench.

During the preseason, the Rhode Island native was in awe over playing for the Lakers for the first time. “It was amazing. It’s a dream come true,” Swider said after his preseason debut.

Los Angeles Lakers officially waive two-way forward Cole Swider, sign undrafted rookie forward Alex Fudge

“Obviously, like LeBron [James] on the sideline, didn’t get to play with him tonight, but just LeBron on the sideline,” Swider added. “Being in Crypto was amazing. Obviously, I had parents, my dad and my grandfather in the crowd, that was special too.”

While with the South Bay Lakers, the 24-year-old averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 28.7 minutes per contest in the 2022-23 season.


Los Angeles waived Swider to open a two-way spot to sign undrafted rookie forward Alex Fudge. Under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, the maximum number of two-way players per team increased from two to three.

Fudge, 20, made 12 starts in 61 career games over the course of two seasons at Louisiana State University (2021-22) and the University of Florida (2022-23). The 6-foot-9 wing joins former Gators teammate Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge as the Lakers’ two-way players.

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