The Los Angeles Lakers wasted no time in offering their two-way contracts to undrafted prospects they believe in. After drafting Michigan State’s Max Christie with the 35th overall pick, the Lakers looked to acquire hidden gem type of players in the undrafted free agent market.
A prospect that worked out twice for the purple and gold was Syracuse’s sharpshooting forward Cole Swider. Swider signed a two-way contract with the Lakers right after the draft ended, joining L.A. for the Summer League an beyond
In an interview with ABC’s Ian Steele, Swider describes the moment he knew he would be joining the 17-time champion Lakers:
“After talking to Rob Pelinka and staff, I knew it would be a possibility. There were some other teams that I thought that could be a possibility, but at the end of the day I just felt like the Lakers were the best option for me after the draft to continue my basketball career. It’s such a blessing, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Averaging 13.9 points on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range, Lakers fans should be excited about what Swider will bring to head coach Darvin Ham’s new four-out, one-in spacious offense.
After being a standout player during the team’s pre-draft workouts, Swider swayed the Lakers in what he has to offer overall and how he can fit as a much-needed stretch-four right away.
When the decision was made by Rob Pelinka, the thrill that Swider felt during the phone call of his life was filled with the energy the Lakers so desire:
“My agent called me, said the Lakers are going to offer you a two-way contract, would you want to accept? And I was like, ‘how can I say yes any faster?’ It’s a dream come true. To Have the opportunity to be a Laker, this amazing franchise is such a blessing.
While Swider is eager to get out there for the Lakers and make an impact, Laker faithful can celebrate the draft night the team had, pairing Swider up with Christie, Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. and LSU’s Shareef O’Neal as part of the team’s Summer League roster.
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