The NBA offseason has slowed down dramatically and there hasn’t been a lot of new information coming out about the Los Angeles Lakers.
So far this offseason, the biggest move Rob Pelinka and the front office has made was to lock up Luka Doncic to a three-year, $165 million contract with a player option. Outside of that move, the Lakers have brought in a few new faces.
Right off the bat in free agency, the team went out and signed Jake LaRavia. After that move, they signed Deandre Ayton following his buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Most recently from an outside move perspective, Los Angeles added veteran guard Marcus Smart after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards.
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With that being said, the roster move news has cooled down dramatically surrounding the Lakers.
Now, a former Los Angeles player has decided to leave the NBA and take his talents elsewhere.
According to a report from longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, Cole Swider has decided to depart the league and sign with Anadolu Efes in Türkiye.
“Sharpshooter Cole Swider is nearing a deal with Anadolu Efes in Türkiye, sources tell @TheSteinLine,” he wrote on X. “After stints with the Lakers, Heat, Pistons and Raptors, Swider is poised to join the growing number of NBAers moving to the EuroLeague and play for ex-Suns coach Igor Kokoškov.”
Swider was signed by the Lakers to a two-year contract after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He played in seven games with the team during his rookie season, scoring nine total points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
Swider ended up playing in 35 total games during his NBA career. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 8.5 minutes per appearance.
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Obviously, the forward’s career did not go as planned. He will now look to turn things around overseas with the new opportunity that he has been given.
Last season, Swider played in eight games with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, making it the best stint of his NBA career.
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers are done making moves this offseason or if Pelinka has another addition or two up his sleeve.
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