Detroit Pistons Officially Announce Signing of Former Pacers Player

The Detroit Pistons picked up Cole Swider.

Oct 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Cole Swider (21) shoots the ball while Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff (30) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons will take on the Indiana Pacers for the regular season opener. The Pistons enter the matchup with their opponent’s former player.

This week, the Pistons officially announced the signing of Cole Swider. The 25-year-old forward joins the team on a two-way contract. Therefore, he is expected to split time with the Pistons and their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

The @DetroitPistons announced today that the team has signed forward Cole Swider to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. pic.twitter.com/BZPN06rjzg

— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) October 21, 2024

The Pistons scooped up Swider shortly after the Pacers cut his time short following the preseason.

Back in August, Swider landed on the Pacers after being with the Miami Heat on a two-way deal. Throughout the Pacers’ preseason, Swider averaged 17 minutes on the court. During that time, he produced eight points per game while shooting 35 percent from the field. Taking nearly two shots from three per game, Swider hit 32 percent from deep.

Prior to his preseason run in Indiana, Swider spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers organization before a stint with Miami. After going undrafted out of Syracuse in 2022, Swider landed a two-way deal with the Lakers. On the main roster, Swider averaged six minutes of playing time in seven games.

Last summer, the Lakers waived Swider. A couple of weeks later, he landed with the Heat. Throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season, Swider played in 18 games for Miami. Spending a little under five minutes on the court on average, the young veteran produced two points per game on 40 percent shooting.

In Detroit, Swider lands on a team that’s working on turning a rebuild around. While earning playing time surely won’t be as easy as it was in past seasons, Swider could have a better chance at carving out a role himself in some capacity in Detroit compared to his past stops.