The Los Angeles Lakers' entry into the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League featured some familiar faces for fans of the Purple and Gold.
With second-year players Dalton Knecht and LeBron James Jr. leading the way in terms of known names on the roster, it was the play of one other player that stood out the most when searching for potential diamonds in the rough that Rob Pelinka could then bring into training camp to compete for a roster spot.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, that opportunity has reportedly passed them by as one-time Los Angeles forward Cole Swider is nearing a contract agreement with one of the top teams in Europe. According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, Swider is nearing a deal with Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Super League and the EuroLeague.
Sharpshooter Cole Swider is nearing a deal with Anadolu Efes in Türkiye, sources tell @TheSteinLine.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 8, 2025
After stints with the Lakers, Heat, Pistons and Raptors, Swider is poised to join the growing number of NBAers moving to the EuroLeague and play for ex-Suns coach Igor Kokoškov. pic.twitter.com/EUs3xniooj
Ex-Lakers Sharpshooter Cole Swider Joining Top European Club Team
Before going any deeper, it is important to note that Cole Swider had exhausted his two-way contract eligibility at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. This doesn't mean he couldn't have been signed by the Lakers to a training camp deal but it certainly would have left Swider betting on himself to make the final roster rather than entertaining overseas offers, as he clearly has done.
Pelinka and the front office had every reason to pursue that type of pact with Swider after he averaged 17.6 points, while shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc, to go along with 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.7 minutes per game. These are the type of sleeper prospects that teams must identify early and sign when there are superstars that command as much of the salary cap as the Lakers' duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Now, Swider is off to Istanbul, where he will likely play a key role on Igor Kokoškov's Anadolu Efes roster. The former Villanova and Syracuse standout joins a long list of former NBA players that will suit up for Anadolu Efes this coming season, as Swider will be joined by the likes of Shane Larkin, P.J. Dozier, Rodrigue Beaubois, Georgios Papagiannis, and Vincent Porier.
This could go down as a missed opportunity that the Lakers regret if Swider can use his strong showing in Las Vegas as a springboard for an even bigger season overseas.