The Milwaukee Bucks will finally have a reliable point guard for next season.
Cole Anthony, 25, plans to sign with the Bucks after he clears waivers following his buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported on July 12.
Anthony, the 15th overall pick in 2020, will sign a one-year deal with the Bucks, Charania added.
Getty Cole Anthony drives around Damian Lillard. Anthony is expected to replace Lillard as the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting point guard.
The 6-foot-2 guard will join Ryan Rollins as the only point guards on the Bucks roster after the team waived and stretched Damian Lillard‘s remaining $113 million under his contract to make way for the signing of center Myles Turner.
Anthony averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in his first five seasons in the NBA, all in Orlando.
Cole Anthony Could Start
The Magic traded Anthony to the Grizzlies along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap for Desmond Bane, the 30th overall pick in 2020.
Charania added Anthony ranked in the top five in total points and assists off the bench the past three seasons, citing ESPN Research. But Anthony could start for the Bucks next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Turner if they are no longer adding another starting-caliber point guard to the roster.
Anthony has strong ties with Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who was his father’s old teammate. Greg Anthony and Rivers played together for the New York Knicks. The elder Anthony and Rivers were involved in the infamous brawl between the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns in 1993.
Bucks Explored Reunion With Former Rookie of the Year
Before the Anthony move, the Bucks had explored reuniting with their former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Bucks are one of the eight teams that have expressed interest in Brogdon.
“League sources say that the Wizards are open to sign-and-trade discussions to facilitate Brogdon’s exit and a slew of teams have registered varying levels of interest in the 32-year-old. That list includes the Clippers, Suns and Lakers as well as the Warriors, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Kings and Bucks,” Fischer wrote.
The Bucks selected Brogdon with the 36th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He won Rookie of the Year after playing in a career-high 75 games while averaging 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and a career-best 1.1 steals.
However, injuries derailed Brogdon’s career. After his third season, the Bucks did not match the Indiana Pacers’ four-year, $85 million deal offer and decided to part ways with him via sign-and-trade in exchange for future picks.
It turned out to be a smart decision as the Bucks used those picks to land Jrue Holiday later on, which led to the Bucks’ championship in 2021.
Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year during his lone season with the Boston Celtics in 2022-23. After that season, the Celtics sent Brogdon to Portland in the Holiday trade that resulted in Boston’s 18th NBA title in 2024.
Anthony is seven years younger than Brogdon and will be playing with a chip on his shoulder — to prove that he’s a starting-caliber point guard in a contract year.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bucks Land Surprising Point Guard Solution After Waiving Damian Lillard appeared first on Heavy Sports.