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Cole Alexander Swider (/ˈswaɪdər/ SWY-dər; born May 8, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats and the Syracuse Orange.
Early life and high school career
Swider grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and attended the St. Andrew's School. Swider was named the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 26.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He averaged 31 points per game in his senior season. Swider was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college basketball at Villanova over offers from Syracuse, Xavier and Duke.
College career
Swider began his collegiate career at Villanova. He played in 31 games and started 15 during his sophomore season and averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. As a junior, he played in all 25 of Villanova's games and averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. After the season, Swider entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Swider ultimately transferred to Syracuse. He became the Orange's starting power forward and averaged 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Following the end of the season, Swider announced that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft and hiring an agent.
Professional career
Los Angeles / South Bay Lakers (2022–2023)
After going unselected in the 2022 NBA draft, Swider signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 1, 2022, splitting time with their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. Swider joined the L.A. Lakers' 2022 NBA Summer League roster. In his Summer League debut, Swider scored thirteen points, six rebounds and a block in a 100–66 win against the Miami Heat.
On July 26, 2023, the Lakers waived Swider.
Miami Heat (2023–present)
On August 11, 2023, Swider signed with the Miami Heat and on October 21, his deal was converted into a two-way contract.
Career statistics
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Villanova | 21 | 0 | 9.5 | .375 | .283 | .632 | 1.2 | .6 | .1 | .0 | 3.5 |
| 2019–20 | Villanova | 31 | 15 | 18.5 | .442 | .352 | .667 | 2.9 | .6 | .2 | .3 | 6.1 |
| 2020–21 | Villanova | 25 | 2 | 18.8 | .426 | .402 | .750 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 5.7 |
| 2021–22 | Syracuse | 33 | 33 | 34.3 | .440 | .411 | .866 | 6.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .4 | 13.9 |
| Career | 110 | 50 | 21.7 | .432 | .381 | .794 | 3.7 | .9 | .5 | .2 | 7.8 | |
NBA
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | L.A. Lakers | 7 | 0 | 5.9 | .333 | .375 | — | 1.0 | .6 | .0 | .0 | 1.3 |
| 2023–24 | Miami | 18 | 0 | 4.8 | .395 | .333 | 1.000 | .4 | .3 | .1 | .1 | 2.3 |
| Career | 25 | 0 | 5.1 | .383 | .342 | 1.000 | .6 | .4 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 | |