Former Syracuse men’s basketball standouts William Kyle III and Cole Swider have both landed new opportunities with the Los Angeles Lakers, signing deals just as training camp gets underway this week.
For both players, the path now is straightforward: crack the Lakers’ roster if possible, or position themselves for a run in the G-League if that’s where the next stop lands. Either way, the contracts keep them in the pro mix and give them another chance to put preseason film out there for other teams to evaluate.
Kyle’s Syracuse stop came in 2025-26, after he spent his first two college seasons at South Dakota State and his junior year at UCLA. Across his college career, he appeared in 131 games, and at Syracuse he started all 32 contests as the Orange finished 15-17 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season. He could have pursued a fifth year under the new "age-based eligibility model," but chose not to.
At Syracuse, Kyle made his money inside. He averaged 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting 66.1 percent from the field.
He was a reliable finisher around the rim and even took part in the college slam dunk contest. At 6-foot-9, he’s a bit undersized for an NBA center, but his motor and work on the glass have helped him stay in the conversation as a pro.
He also suited up for the Lakers in this year’s NBA Summer League, where he evidently left a strong enough impression to earn another look.
Swider’s Syracuse chapter looked different, but it was productive in its own way. The Providence, R.I. native spent three years at Villanova before transferring to Syracuse in 2021-22. Because of the COVID-19 era, he had a fifth year of eligibility available, though he opted not to use it.
In his lone season with the Orange, Swider started 33 games and averaged 13.9 points per game while hitting 41.1 percent of his threes. He also grabbed 6.8 rebounds a night as Syracuse went 16-17. The Orange missed the NCAA Tournament that season, which began the five-year tournament drought.
Swider has stayed active since then. He represented Syracuse this summer at the 'TBT' and also played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, where he delivered a big game against Chile.
In Other News...
Former Orange Playmaker Finally Broke Through In A Busy NFL Week
Week 3 brought a familiar kind of NFL snapshot for Syracuse fans, with a cluster of former Orange players showing up across the league and making their presence felt. Zaire Franklin led the way defensively for the Packers with 10 tackles, Matthew Bergeron helped steady the Falcons ground game, and Andre Szmyt stayed perfect for the Browns on field goals and extra points. Even beyond the headline names, Tommy DeVito, LeQuint Allen and Jackson Meeks all got on the field and chipped in during their games, a reminder of how many Syracuse products are now carving out roles on Sundays.
For Orange fans, though, the most interesting part of the week may have been watching a former playmaker finally break through after a long wait. In a league where chances can be scarce and momentum even scarcer, those first real signs of traction matter, especially for a player trying to turn brief appearances into something bigger. With so many Syracuse alumni in action, the broader theme was encouraging enough, but one of the weeks quiet breakthroughs felt like the one worth tracking a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Put Itself In Position For An Early QB Recruiting Win
Syracuse is trying to get ahead of the curve in the quarterback market, and its first offer in this cycle went to Philadelphia Belmont Charter signal-caller Nafis Watkins after he visited for Franchise Camp. The Orange gave Watkins a reason to remember the stop, and the young passer came away appreciative of the coaching staff and the program as he continues to build his profile.
Watkins already has the kind of early experience that tends to grab attention, having started as a freshman for a Belmont Charter team that finished 10-2 in 2025. For Syracuse, the pitch is simple: identify talent early, make the relationship count, and see whether the Orange can turn a camp visit into a head start in the recruiting race. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Still Has A Path Out Of This Frustrating Start
The frustration around Syracuses rough start has been easy to understand, especially after the Orange kept running into the same self-inflicted problems in recent losses. Drives have stalled when the offense gets into the red zone, opponents have found too many answers on third down, and the turnover and penalty margins have put Syracuse in tougher spots than it needs to be. Even so, the season picture is not beyond repair if the Orange can simply tighten the details that have repeatedly swung games the wrong way.
There are reasons to think the climb out is still possible, from potential lineup changes to the idea that cleaner play could immediately change the tone. The larger issue is urgency, because the margin for error has already narrowed and Syracuse cannot afford to keep leaving scoring chances on the table while giving opponents extra possessions and easy yards. The next stretch will say plenty about whether this is just a bad opening or the kind of start that lingers. [Read more 🡒]