After spending the first five years of his career with the Orlando Magic, Cole Anthony is ready to start a new chapter with the Milwaukee Bucks. For the first time since signing with the franchise following his buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies, the guard spoke about the opportunity to suit up for a team in the hunt for a championship.
Here is what Anthony had to say, as transcribed by the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede (subscription required):
“I look at it as a great opportunity to enter another team where they have a playoff pedigree and a championship pedigree. 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.”
The Bucks will need Cole Anthony to be at his best in Milwaukee
While the Magic have been on the rise, and they should be even better next year after offseason moves to beef up the roster, they've never been as close to title contention as Milwaukee. Anthony knows he has a chance to fight for the NBA's highest honor alongside arguably the best player in the entire world.
Cole Anthony knows what kind of role the Bucks will ask him to play. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, both of which are on the table in this unpredictable guard rotation, they need him to simply be himself. In his Orlando days, the guard oftentimes served as a sparkplug whenever he checked into the game, and he can hopefully do the same in Milwaukee.
Some trips down the floor, the Milwaukee Bucks will need him to score. On others, they will need him to find the open man. At times, they will need him to get a stop defensively, which is one of the main X-factors he faces as a Buck. If he can do all of those things well, there's no doubt that this signing could turn into a home run move for Milwaukee very quickly.
Anthony should be more than motivated coming to Milwaukee after a down year in 2025-26. While he started in 22 games, he averaged a career-low 18.4 minutes per game after being well over 20 during each of his first four seasons. The young point guard will look to prove that he can help an team with title aspirations.
Adding to the intrigue with Anthony is that he is currently the lone true point guard on the roster. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are combo guards, meaning they slide between the point and two guard slots. Anthony could do that, but it's more likely he will see most of his minutes running point. He could give Milwaukee different looks than Porter and Rollins in that regard.
Either way, he's clearly fired up to the be here.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.