Former UNC basketball guard Cole Anthony Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Former UNC Basketball Guard Involved in NBA Trade

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Cam Robertson | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 5:05 PM ET

Five years ago, Cole Anthony became the most recent UNC basketball product to come off the board among the first 15 selections in an NBA Draft.

He wound up with the Orlando Magic, quickly carving out a valuable role that included a full season as a starter in just his second professional campaign.

Anthony started all 65 games he appeared in that season, averaging career-highs across the board. But in the three years since, the 25-year-old NBA Tar Heel has seen a steady decline in both minutes and his production, albeit with a spot in the rotation and countless clutch performances under his belt.

Now, Anthony is set to find himself heading to a new destination for the first time as a pro.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound veteran was one of the players involved in a headline NBA trade on Sunday that saw the Magic send a sizable package of picks and players, including Anthony, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Desmond Bane.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UcQnmHbgZb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025

First reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, the deal involves Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks, and a future first-round pick-swap heading to Memphis while Bane will join Orlando.

Cole Anthony will now find himself once again competing for a role, with a crowded Grizzlies backcourt that currently includes Ja Morant, Scottie Pippen Jr., Luke Kennard, Caldwell-Pope, and himself.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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