Magic could trade former 15th overall draft pick

The Orlando Magic could look to move on from Cole Anthony. The 6-foot-2 guard will be entering his fourth season in the NBA. After starting all 65 of the games he played in his second season, he regressed in 2022-23. Markelle Fultz got healthy and reclaimed the starting point guard role. Orlando also just drafted Anthony Black with the sixth overall pick and has Jalen Suggs on their roster. 

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Anthony could find himself as the odd man out in Orlando. The fourth-year guard has proved to be capable of being a sparkplug off the bench but has struggled to find consistent production. 

"If the Magic execute a deal, Anthony will be extension-eligible until the start of the season," Pincus wrote. "If so, another franchise might value what he brings enough for an extension. But he may be closer to Fultz's salary in dollars, not percent."

Anthony boasts career averages of 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists, shooting 41.5% from the field and 34.5% from three-point range. The UNC product could improve a contending team's bench depth or potentially slot into a rebuilding team as a guard for the future. 

At 23 years old, Anthony is years away from his prime and has plenty of scope to improve his overall game. Orlando simply has too many talented guards to choose from. Keeping all four guards would only limit their individual growth and, thus, the long-term upside for the franchise. Anthony is the most logical option to be traded. 

Orlando has orchestrated a textbook rebuild in recent years. However, when a team acquires so much young talent, difficult decisions need to be made. If the franchise has no plans to offer Anthony a contract extension, it makes sense to move him via trade rather than risk losing him for nothing. There will likely be multiple teams interested in acquiring a multi-level scorer who can run an offense and provide help on the glass. 

Anthony can still become an important role player in the NBA. It's just unlikely to happen with the Magic.