Lakers News: Did LA Make A Mistake In Letting Cole Swider Walk?

Swider seems to be doing well in Miami.

One of the more hyped-up members of the Los Angeles Lakers over the last two years was swingman Cole Swider. Swider was with the team on a two-way contract and was ultimately released this past summer.

Many fans weren't happy when the team decided to move on from Swider, but the team felt that they could maximize their two-way spot more with another player. Swider provided strong three-point shooting but didn’t produce much of anything else.

Swider latched on with the Miami Heat, and he has been turning some heads during their training camp so far. Heat star center Bam Adebayo was asked about a player who has stood out to him during their training camp, and he quickly pointed to the former Lakers sharpshooter.

“Cole is really, really showing he can really shoot the ball,” Adebayo said. “He can play on different types of teams. He can play with the young fellas, he also can play with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love and be under control and learn how to flow in the offense.”

Per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald

The Heat have been known to take players like Swider and turn them into quality NBA role players. So, many Laker fans may be wondering if the team made a mistake in letting him go, but the answer is a simple, no.

Swider is a very good shooter, but he didn’t show that he could bring any other value to the table. His defense was a work in progress, and he wasn’t consistent enough while on the floor. This was mainly in the NBA Summer League, so against the real competition in the NBA, Swider would have been run off the court.

He is a good player, with good size, but the Lakers couldn’t afford to keep him while he is growing. They wouldn’t have cut him loose if they believed he could really impact them moving forward, so we need to trust that they know what they are doing.

We wish Swider the best of luck while in Miami, and hopefully, he can get a rotation spot with the Heat this season.

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