All season long, November 21st will be a day that will be remembered league wide. News came out about a trade between the Georgia Swarm and Panther City Lacrosse Club.
You’re saying: trades happen all the time, Dan, why would this be any different? Here’s why.
The Swarm traded a conditional fifth round pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft to PCLC in exchange for Jeremy Thompson. If you’re new to the NLL and the lacrosse community, first and foremost, welcome. This trade sends Jeremy to play with two of his younger brothers, Lyle and Miles Thompson. The magnitude of this trade is massive from a lacrosse standpoint, but of course from a family standpoint as well. Jeremy is a prolific transition player and face-off specialist, and is a journeyman in the NLL.
Unfortunately, Miles Thompson was recently placed on the season-ending injured reserve list, so Jeremy and Lyle will have to wait to play alongside him.
However, three of the four Thompson brothers will still be looking to make a buzz this year and fight for the NLL Championship. The fourth Thompson brother, Hiana, will face his brothers three times this year, as he plays for Albany.
Before we dig deeper into the trade and the meaning behind Jeremy joining the Swarm, let’s debunk why the price for such a great player was so cheap.
Jeremy will be 36 in January. In my humble opinion, that’s about it for the reasoning. Don’t get it mixed up, a fifth round pick could lead to a future superstar, but there’s just something about that Thompson name that makes one think that PCLC could’ve gotten a bit more for him. Jeremy had a stellar year for Panther City last season. With 17 points (4+13), 146 loose balls, 30 caused turnovers, and a .520% face off percentage, he proved he can still hang and plays a pivotal role no matter what is asked of him. Jeremy also won the 2022 Teammate of the Year award, which shows his locker room leadership and ability to make everyone around him better. In his 10 years in the league, Jeremy is fourth in face-off wins and loose balls, and is first in playoff face-off wins.
Now to the meaning of Lyle, Miles, and Jeremy all playing for Georgia. All three know what it takes to win the NLL Championship, as Lyle and Miles won it in 2017 with Georgia and Jeremy won it twice in 2015 and 2016 with Edmonton/Saskatchewan. Jeremy brings a very special style of play to the table just by himself, but now he’s surrounded by a talented Swarm team and two of his brothers that know him like the back of their hands.
The meaning of these three playing with one another speaks for itself when it comes to the Thompson family, but it also is a huge deal to the Swarm organization.
“We are very excited to have Jeremy join the team,” said owner and GM John Arlotta. “Over the years, I’ve had a chance to know Jeremy very well on and off the field. I have admired his playing and leadership, and I am eager for him to bring it to Georgia.”
From the backyard, to the big leagues, Lyle, Miles and Jeremy look to make an impact in the league this year. As previously stated, we’ll have to wait to see Miles suit up again, but Lyle, Jeremy and the rest of the Swarm take the field in their home opener Saturday night at 8 p.m. against Rochester.
