Former Indiana Pacers wing Cole Swider headed to Detroit Pistons per report, plus Mad Ants acquire De'Vion Harmon

The Pacers and Mad Ants rosters are taking shape

Oct 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) and Indiana Pacers forward Cole Swider (21) fight for a loose ball in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The NBA season starts next week, and most G League squads will begin training camp soon after. Teams, including the Indiana Pacers and their affiliate squad, the Indiana Mad Ants, are finalizing their rosters this weekend.

On Friday, the Pacers waived forward Cole Swider, which brought their roster to 14 standard contracts. Head coach Rick Carlisle said it was a tough decision for the blue and gold when it came to keeping Swider or not, but they opted to move on. The Pacers got some financial flexibility with the move.

Now, Swider is set to join the Detroit Pistons. According to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN, the 25-year old sharpshooter is headed to the Pacers Central Division foe on a two-way contract. The Pistons had a pair of open two-way spots entering the weekend.

One of them will go to Swider, though the shooting wing won't clear waivers until Sunday afternoon. While it's possible he is claimed by another team, Swider will almost certainly end up with Detroit on a two-way deal. He averaged 7.8 points per game during preseason action for the Pacers.

"I've been in this position every single year of my career. So this isn't anything new," Swider said of trying to earn a roster spot during training camp. "Just want to continue to improve and try to earn my spot here."

Instead, he's off to Detroit for the third season of his career. The Pacers and PIstons meet on opening night this coming Wednesday.

Free agent F Cole Swider plans to sign a two-way NBA contract with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The former Lakers and Heat shooter averaged nearly eight points for the Pacers in preseason.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2024

Elsewhere in the Pacers organization, the Mad Ants made a trade this week. They sent their own selection in the 2025 NBA G League International Draft to the Westchester Knicks and received the returning player rights to De’Vion Harmon.

Harmon played for Westchester last season, where he averaged 9.9 points and 2.4 assists per game across 34 outings. He was a part of the Knicks team that beat the Mad Ants in the Showcase Cup title game last December. Now, his rights are owned by Indiana, but that doesn't mean he is a lock to play in the G League this season.

The Mad Ants will hold camp later this month.

---

• T.J. McConnell is still creating a chip on his shoulder after a contract extension with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• James Wiseman learning with Indiana Pacers, hoping to forget the past with new team. CLICK HERE.
• Source: Indiana Pacers plan to waive forward Cole Swider. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers fight back for overtime win over Charlotte Hornets to close preseason. CLICK HERE.
• Follow Pacers On SI on Facebook: All Pacers SI
• Follow Pacers On SI on Twitter: @SIPacers