Indiana Pacers Cole Swider Signing Suggests Roster Competition Coming

INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps the least discussed Indiana Pacers addition from the offseason was the signing of 25-year old wing Cole Swider. The sweet-shooting forward agreed to a one-year deal with the Pacers back in August.

Swider, a two-year NBA pro who has experience with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, went under the radar as a signing for many reasons. He agreed to a contract late in free agency, he isn’t a well-known name, and he might not even make the team.

That final point is what makes the agreement fascinating. Swider signed a one-year deal with the Pacers, and none of his contract is guaranteed. Yet there is no Exhibit 10 language in his deal — that means Swider can’t get a two-way deal and likely won’t end up in the G League if he’s waived. The Rhode Island native is betting on himself to make the Pacers final 15-man roster.

During his career, Swider has averaged 2.0 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game in 5.1 minutes per night. He’s appeared in 25 games across two seasons. Most of his performances in the pros have come in the G League, and he’s been a flamethrower at that level. Swider is 193/429 (45%) from deep. His averages are 19.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the G League.

Now, he comes to Indiana, and he will hope that shooting finally translates to the highest level. In his NBA time, only 34.2% of his outside shots have fallen so far. But if they do for the Pacers, then he’ll have a chance to make the team.

Swider’s signing does signal that there will be a battle for the final roster spot(s) in the Circle City. Were the Pacers comfortable with their top-15 talents, they wouldn’t have added someone else into the mix this summer. Yet they did, and the back end of the Pacers roster will be a storyline throughout training camp.

Swider isn’t the only player in Pacers camp on a contract that isn’t fully guaranteed for the coming season. James Johnson, who was signed in late July, has $750,000 guaranteed on his deal for 2024-25. The recently-added James Wiseman has $500,000 guaranteed, and Kendall Brown’s deal is fully non-guaranteed until opening night. Many players, including Swider, will be doing everything they can to earn money.

“Competition is a great thing. It, presumably, brings out the best in everybody,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Monday. “This team has got a lot of depth and a lot of juice and a lot of guys that are going to be ready to play.”

While it’s possible all four players with non- or lightly-guaranteed contracts are battling to make Indiana’s final roster, it’s more likely that the final spot on the team will come down to Brown or Swider. Not only do Johnson and Wiseman have some guaranteed money in their contracts that Indiana would have to eat if they were waived, but those two also have more obvious roles within the team.

Brown has been with the blue and gold for the last two seasons, first on a two-way contract then a standard NBA deal. He entered the offseason the favorite to be the Pacers 15th man, but an unimpressive summer league showing hurt his stock. The athletic 21-year old has the tools to be a useful player in the open floor and on defense, but those skills haven’t surfaced yet. And Brown hasn’t been efficient enough as a play finisher to offset his lack of ability elsewhere.

The Baylor product is still a fascinating talent. He’s tall, fast, and extremely athletic. Indiana liked him enough to draft him 48th overall in 2022. But now, he and Swider are likely competing for a spot on the Pacers roster.

It’s possible that neither player makes the team. If they are both unimpressive during training camp, they could both get cut. Indiana could keep the spot open, or perhaps two-way contract forward Enrique Freeman keeps playing inspired basketball, like he did in summer league, and earns a promotion to the standard roster. There are many ways Indiana could opt to go.

The Swider signing means that there will be a battle, though. A few guys will be hoping to prove they belong on the Pacers roster once the regular season comes, and the early signs are that it could come down to Swider’s shooting vs Brown’s athleticism. It will be decided on the court during training camp and preseason action.