Cole Alexander Swider (born May 8, 1999) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player for the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East (NCAA Division I) for every sport; except football and rowing where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association (Football Championship Su ...
and the
Syracuse Orange
The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.
The school's mascot is O ...
.
Early life and high school career
Swider grew up in
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,871 at the 2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, after Providence; it was one of the four colonies which merge ...
and attended the
St. Andrew's School. Swider was named the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 26.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He averaged 31 points per game in his senior season. Swider was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at
Villanova over offers from Syracuse, Xavier, and Duke.
College career
Swider began his collegiate career at
Villanova. He played in 31 games and started 15 during his sophomore season and averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. As a junior, he played in all 25 of Villanova's games and averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. After the season, Swider entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Swider ultimately transferred to
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
* Syracuse, New York
** East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
. He became the Orange's starting power forward and averaged 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Following the end of the season, Swider announced that he would be entering the
2022 NBA draft
The 2022 NBA draft (branded as the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm for sponsorship reasons), the 76th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft, was held on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. T ...
and hiring an agent.
Professional career
Los Angeles / South Bay Lakers (2022–2023)
After going unselected in the
2022 NBA draft
The 2022 NBA draft (branded as the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm for sponsorship reasons), the 76th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft, was held on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. T ...
, Swider signed a
two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...
with the
Los Angeles Lakers on July 1, 2022, splitting time with their G League affiliate, the
South Bay Lakers
The South Bay Lakers are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the first National Basketball Associ ...
. Swider joined the Lakers'
2022 NBA Summer League
The 2022 NBA Summer League, also branded as the NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, was an off-season competition held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) primarily at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada on the camp ...
roster. In his Summer League debut, Swider scored thirteen points, six rebounds, and a block in a 100–66 win against the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
.
On July 26, 2023, the Lakers waived Swider.
Miami Heat (2023–present)
On August 11, 2023, Swider signed with the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
.
Career statistics
NBA
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L.A. Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
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References
External links
Villanova Wildcats bioSyracuse Orange bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swider, Cole
1999 births
Living people
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Rhode Island
Los Angeles Lakers players
People from Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Power forwards (basketball)
South Bay Lakers players
Syracuse Orange men's basketball players
Undrafted National Basketball Association players
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players