Lakers waive Cole Swider & Upgraded Two-Way Deal Alex Fudge

Lakers waive Cole Swider & Upgraded Two-Way Deal Alex Fudge

The Los Angeles Lakers made two roster changes on Wednesday, despite the NBA being in its quiet winter period.

First, they released their two-way deal with undrafted forward Cole Swider. The squad is probably dissatisfied in the other aspects of his game, especially his defence, even if he has shown a tonne of potential as a deadly 3-point shooter.

The Lakers were able to sign another undrafted forward, Alex Fudge, to a two-way contract as a result of the Lakers’ decision to waive Swider.

With Louisiana State University and the University of Florida, respectively, Fudge played two seasons of collegiate basketball.

During his time in college, Fudge played 61 games while averaging 4.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. He spent one year at LSU and one at Florida. After the NBA draught in June, the Lakers signed him to an Exhibit-10 contract, and during Summer League action, he averaged 2.6 points in 11 minutes per game.

The other two players on two-way contracts with the team going into the 2023–24 season are rookies Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge. There is currently one roster position open for the Lakers.

Fudge was originally signed by Los Angeles to an Exhibit-10 contract, but other from the occasional block of a shot, he didn’t contribute much during NBA Summer League action earlier this month.

However, the actions might be yet another indication that businessman Rob Pelinka prioritises players who make a difference on both sides of the court, particularly the defensive end.

In accordance with the new CBA, teams are now allowed to have three two-way contract players instead of just two.

Last season, Swider made seven appearances with the Lakers, playing 5.9 minutes per game while averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds. During the 2022–23 season, the 24-year-old played in 27 G League games for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. Swider was initially acquired by the Lakers in July 2022 as an undrafted free agency from Syracuse University.