The Lakers have doubled back on two familiar names just before camp, handing Exhibit 10 deals to William Kyle III and Cole Swider one day before media day and two days before training camp. That keeps both players in the mix for a possible future two-way contract, and it gives the team a pair of Syracuse alumni to evaluate again in a crowded competition.
Kyle is the younger of the two. The 22-year-old Nebraska native started at South Dakota, transferred to UCLA, and then finished at Syracuse.
After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, he already earned his first Exhibit 10 deal and then did enough in Summer League to get another look for training camp. In Las Vegas, he averaged 2.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks while shooting 66.7% from the field.
At 6-foot-9, he gives the Lakers another center option and could factor as a backup big if either Walker Kessler or Kevon Looney is not healthy to play. Still, this is the kind of depth move that does not exactly change the temperature of the roster.
Swider brings a longer NBA trail and a more polished offensive résumé. A Portsmouth, Rhode Island native, he began at Villanova before moving to Syracuse for the 2021-22 NCAA season.
He first landed with the Lakers after going undrafted in 2022 and later played for South Bay, where he put up 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 50.6% from the field and 43.6% from three. Since leaving in 2023, he has bounced through G League stops with the Heat, Pistons, and Raptors, returned to South Bay in 2025, and then went on to Turkey to play for Anadolu Efes.
Of the two additions, Swider looks like the more intriguing one.
If he can turn this training camp chance into a two-way deal, he could still become a useful piece. The wrinkle is that the Lakers would then have to sort out a crowded roster fight, with Arthur Kaluma, Chris Manon, and AK Okereke among the players who could be waived to make room.
Swider seemed to appreciate the opportunity, reacting on social media with purple and gold heart emojis after the news broke.
Before bringing Kyle and Swider back into the fold, the Lakers waived guards Meechie Johnson and Chase Ross less than 10 days after signing them to Exhibit 10 deals.
Now the two former Lakers get another shot to prove they belong. With only a handful of roster spots available and several players battling for them, both will need a strong camp to stay in the conversation.
In Other News...
Walker Kessler Trade Came After Utah Faced A Serious Threat
Walker Kesslers arrival in Los Angeles came after a tense stretch in Utah, where the Jazz were trying to keep one of their most valuable young bigs in place while weighing the cost of a major extension. The Lakers landed him through a sign-and-trade package built around two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, a price that underscores how aggressively they moved to bring in a center with real long-term value.
Kessler ended up on a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers after reportedly passing on a five-year, $140 million offer from Utah, a choice that adds another layer to how the deal unfolded. Rob Pelinka also said Kessler is fully healthy after shoulder surgery, which only heightens the interest in what Los Angeles believes it added, even as the full story behind Utahs urgency continues to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Could Not Hide What LeBron's Exit Meant To Him
LeBron James departure after eight seasons with the Lakers landed hard inside the locker room, and Austin Reaves did not try to mask it. Reaves, who developed a close relationship with James, spoke openly about how much the veteran meant to him as both a teammate and a mentor, a reminder of how much of last seasons identity was built around the two of them sharing the floor and the day-to-day rhythm that came with it.
Now Reaves is staring at a bigger role in Los Angeles heading into next season, with the Lakers needing more from him on and off the ball. Meanwhile, James heads to Philadelphia on a two-year deal, where the 76ers suddenly look every bit like a superteam alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, leaving the Lakers to figure out what life looks like without one of the leagues defining figures. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Camp Roster Sets Up JJ Redicks First Big Decisions
The Lakers have officially filled out their training camp group, and the first roster decisions of the JJ Redick era are already taking shape. Los Angeles is bringing 21 players into camp after adding William Kyle III and Cole Swider while waiving Meechie Johnson and Chase Ross, a standard sort of late-summer housekeeping that still matters when a team is trying to sort through the bottom of the roster and get its new identity in order.
All of it is happening against a much bigger backdrop. The preseason schedule brings five games against the Kings, Warriors and Nuggets, with the regular season opener set for Oct. 21 against Golden State, and for the Lakers it marks the start of the post-LeBron James chapter and the beginning of the Luka Doncic-led era. Redicks first real challenge is less about headlines than hierarchy, and camp should start revealing which supporting pieces can stick as the franchise pivots into something new. [Read more 🡒]