Lakers Sign New 2 Familiar Faces After Rob Pelinka’s Statement

The Los Angeles Lakers have continued shaping their roster for the 2026-27 season, bringing back two players who already have ties to the organization. The moves also come as the team puts greater emphasis on continuity and depth.

The Lakers signed forwards William Kyle III and Cole Swider to Exhibit 10 contracts and waived guards Meechie Johnson and Chase Ross, who had signed with the team on Sept. 18. The moves are part of the Lakers’ ongoing roster work as they build their G League group for the upcoming season.

Both Kyle and Swider have already spent time with the Lakers organization, although their previous roles have been different. If they remain with the team through the next round of roster decisions, they could spend training camp and the preseason with the parent club before potentially joining the Coachella Valley Lakers.

Two Players With Lakers Ties

Kyle is a 6’9″, 230-pound forward who played at three college programs: South Dakota State, UCLA and Syracuse. During the 2025-26 season at Syracuse, he started all 32 games and averaged 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes.

His defensive production stood out during the regular season. Kyle led the ACC in both total blocks and blocks per game, and his performance with the Lakers’ Summer League team gave the organization another reason to take a closer look at him.

Swider brings more direct NBA experience with the Lakers. The 27-year-old, who stands 6’8″ and weighs 220 pounds, spent the 2022-23 season with the team on a two-way contract and appeared in seven games.

He remained in the Lakers’ G League system as recently as the 2024-25 season and also played for their Summer League team in 2025. Last season, Swider played 21 games, including three starts, for Anadolu Efes in the Turkish Basketball Super League, averaging 7.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes.

The Exhibit 10 deals give both players another opportunity to compete for a place in the Lakers’ training-camp group. These contracts are commonly used for training-camp and preseason roster spots and can provide a path to a team’s G League affiliate if a player is waived.

That roster-building approach also fits with what Rob Pelinka has said about the direction of the Lakers. The team’s general manager recently explained why continuity has become an important part of the organization’s offseason plans.

“Yeah, I think we feel like this era is going to be an era of more continuity, and having depth was important,” Pelinka said at his annual preseason press conference.

Pelinka then explained the thinking behind that approach, pointing to several of the Lakers’ offseason additions and saying the team wanted players at similar ages and stages of their careers who could develop together.

“So if you look at what we went and accomplished this summer in terms of the free agents we added, Sandro and Q and Matisse and Ziaire and on and on, we felt like if we lined up a group of guys of like age and like career stage that we could give them a chance to grow and have continuity and get deeper. And so I think we’re confident about both of those things,” Pelinka said.

Kyle will look to build on his defensive strengths from college and Summer League, while Swider will try to make the most of another opportunity with a team he already knows. For now, both have another chance to show the Lakers what they can offer.

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