Cole Anthony Breaks Silence After Trade With Heartfelt Message To Magic

In 2020, the Orlando Magic selected Cole Anthony with the No. 15 pick, hoping to secure their point guard of the future. While he brought scoring, leadership, and a steady presence over five seasons, Anthony never fully cemented himself as a full-time starter. As part of a major roster overhaul, the Magic traded Anthony along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four first-round picks, and a pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Desmond Bane.

Shortly after, Anthony agreed to a buyout with Memphis and is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he’ll have a chance to raise his stock with Damian Lillard sidelined by injury. Amid the chaos of the trade, Anthony stayed silent until he appeared on social media with a heartfelt message thanking the Magic organization for drafting him and the city of Orlando for believing in him.

"Orlandoooooo! I know this took me a while," Anthony wrote. "I had to find the right words.
This city became home, and some people even became family — To the fans: thank you for believing in me, standing by me, and making every moment count. I gave you everything I had, and you gave me even more in return. I’ll carry this chapter in my heart forever.To my teammates y’all already know wassup We locked in! To the organization & coaching staff— thank you for the opportunity to grow, learn, and lead over these last 5 years.Much love always. See y’all 
#ThankYouOrlando#50Out."