New Bucks Scorer Opens Up on 'Bittersweet' Trade and Buyout

There was a time, back in his career with North Carolina, that Cole Anthony was considered a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick. He never quite lived up to that billing, but the new Bucks guard has worked out a pretty clear role for himself in the NBA, one that should keep him kicking around the league for years to come.

The Bucks are hoping that Anthony can be a bench scorer who puts up points in bunches, a role he filled for long stretches in Orlando--the team that drafted him back in 2020, with the 15th pick.

Anthony averaged 12.5 points in his five years with the Magic, though his role waned recently, as Orlando replaced him with Anthony Black, a better all-around point guard. This summer, the Magic cut ties with him altogether, dealing Anthony to Memphis in the trade that brought Desmond Bane to the Magic. The Grizzlies waived Anthony thereafter.

Cole Anthony Surprised by Trade

Anthony has landed on his feet in Milwaukee, where he will be part of the Bucks' attempt to reconstitute a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Anthony recalled his reaction to learning he was being traded, in a call with Magic president Jeff Weltman.

“I remember my agent called me; I remember talking with Jeff, and I was just like, ‘Dang, is this real?'” Anthony said, via the Orlando Sentinel. “I remember that whole week; it was just crazy. I’ve been here five years, haven’t played for another team, was drafted here, so it’s something for me that definitely is bittersweet and I’m going to miss it.”

Bucks Hoping to Contend Again

The trade still does not quite feel real to him, he said. It probably won't until he opens up training camp with the Bucks in less than two months.

“It’s definitely going to be really bittersweet,” Anthony said. “I’ve literally said this to several people … I still feel like I’m on the Magic a little bit. It’s something that’s bittersweet because this has been home, but I’m super excited for this next opportunity and super thankful to the whole Bucks organization.”

The Magic, of course, have never won a championship in the NBA. The Bucks are just four years removed from winning, and that counts with Anthony.

“I look at it as a great opportunity to enter another team where they have a playoff pedigree and a championship pedigree,” Anthony said about joining the Bucks. “They’ve won a ‘chip there. I just want to get in there, contribute and do whatever I can for the team. I want to be a part of winning.”