The Miami Heat reportedly are signing former Los Angeles Lakers forward Cole Swider.
Swider, 24, spent the 2022-23 season with the Lakers and appeared in seven NBA games. He averaged 1.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
While he played a small role at the NBA level last season, Swider showed out in the G League for the South Bay Lakers.
In 27 G League games (19 starts) during the regular season, Swider averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He displayed some impressive shooting in the G League, hitting 50.6 percent of his shots from the field and 43.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The Heat have had a ton of success with undrafted players in recent seasons, especially ones that can shoot the ball at a high rate from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin are all undrafted players that played crucial roles in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals last season.
With Strus moving on this offseason in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat could add some more shooting to the roster.
Swider, who played collegiately at Villanova University and Syracuse University, could easily get a decent amount of minutes for Miami in the 2023-24 campaign.
The Heat have some holes to fill in the rotation, as Vincent also left in the offseason – signing a three-year deal with Los Angeles in free agency.
If the Heat end up trading for Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard, their depth could take another hit. The Athletic recently reported that the Heat have been preparing a trade package that includes first-round picks, expiring deals, Tyler Herro going to a third team and one young player.
A Lillard deal with that package would leave Miami’s rotation even thinner on the wing.
While Swider doesn’t have a ton of experience at the NBA level, he is a player that is worth taking a flier on for Miami in the 2023-24 season.