The Boston Celtics have done a phenomenal job developing talent in their G League system. Sam Hauser came up through the ranks and is now an essential part of their rotation. The same can be said for Luke Kornet, who spent a bunch of time with the Maine Celtics. Now, guys like Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh are looking to make that leap.
Because of their current roster and how expensive it is, the Celtics should constantly be looking for ways to improve on the fringes. That means always evaluating talent in hopes of finding new players who can contribute on cheap contracts.
Well, the latest may have just been gifted to them.
Cole Swider could be perfect project player for Celtics
The Detroit Pistons recently poached Ron Harper Jr. from the Maine Celtics. They signed Harper to a two-way contract after he spent the G League Showcase (and Summer League) with the Celtics. But in the process, they may have given Boston an interesting name to consider.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Detroit Pistons, who also signed Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, waived Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, who were on two-way contracts, to make room for their new additions.
Swider could be a very intriguing name for the Celtics to consider.
The Celtics almost certailny wouldn't sign him to a standard roster spot, but they could look to add him to Maine's roster. Or, if they decided to elevate Drew Peterson to a standard contract, they could move Swider into a two-way spot.
Boston has had success developing three-point shooters in the past (just look at Hauser), and Swider’s best skill is easily his jumper. He came into the league as a shooting threat and could be a nice project for the Celtics to take a chance on. Bringing him to Maine would be absolutely perfect.
In five games with the Motor City Cruise (Detroit’s G League team) this year, Swider played from. Swider played 34.1 minutes, averaging 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field.
But perhaps most impressively, Swider shot 44.4% from three-point range on 10.8 attempts per game.
On top of all that, Swider is from Barrington, Rhode Island, meaning the Celtics would be bringing in a local kid to the organization.
At 25 years old, Swider isn’t super young, but he’s only one year older than Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson, who the Celtics selected in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-8 forward has great size and is a lethal shooter. If the Celtics worked with him on his defense, he could be the perfect type of player to snag for Maine.
Teams can never have enough three-point showing nowadays, and Swider could be the next project piece for Boston.