A new chapter.
Lakers' former sharpshooter officially signs contract to leave NBA for EuroLeague originally appeared on The Sporting News
It had been reported that a deal was close, but now it's official.
Cole Swider is heading across the Atlantic to continue his basketball career in Turkey.
The former Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter is heading to play for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. That team also competes in the EuroLeague, the second-best basketball league on the planet. They're coached by former Suns head coach Igor Kokoshov.
Swider posted about the move on Monday:
Blessed and thankful!! Let’s have a great year @AnadoluEfesSK 💙🤍 https://t.co/tUGNNQ3Njy
— Cole Swider (@coleswider21) August 11, 2025
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Swider has played in the NBA for the Lakers, Heat, Pistons and Raptors.
He began his college career at Villanova, then starred in his final NCAA season at Syracuse.
From there, he went undrafted but signed a two-way contract with the Lakers.
At the NBA level, he has had a very small sample size of 3-point attempts and show 32.9% on those shots.
But in the G League, Swider has been a deadeye marksman.
In 2022-23, Swider shot 43.6% from 3-point range. In 2023-24, he was up at 50%. And in 2024-25, Swider shot 44.1% from beyond the arc in the G League.
He lit it up in Summer League last month, too, but it wasn't enough to earn him a contract with the Lakers.
Swider is 26 years old now, meaning if he has a big season in Europe, he still has time to come back and take another crack at the NBA.
For now, he'll try to help Anadolu Efes make noise in the high-powered EuroLeague. It's a great challenge for Swider to prove his basketball abilities once again.
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