Orlando Magic need to let Cole Anthony keep proving himself

Look to any mock trade or even mock draft and one question seems to come up with the Orlando Magic.

Their crowded guard room seems like an area where the team could use something of an upgrade.

There are the always present questions from the outside about Markelle Fultz and his long-term capabilities at point guard. Jalen Suggs, drafted two years ago to much fanfare, has struggled with injuries and his shot through the early part of his career.

Cole Anthony had all the accolades coming out of high school and entering North Carolina. And he has established himself in the NBA with some big moments. But he views himself as a starter most likely even as he establishes himself as a great scorer off the bench for this Magic team.

There are a lot of questions about a lot of players in this group. And the Magic seemingly could use an upgrade at the guard position. The question is whether now is the time for this to happen.

This lump sum of guards has led to speculation of what exactly would happen to them and how the Magic will use them, if they even do, going forward.

The biggest decision perhaps to come will center on Anthony as he prepares to enter the final year of his rookie contract and the team weighs whether to hedge for his replacement or prepare to offer him an extension this summer.

The Orlando Magic have a lot of questions and possibilities within their guard group. Cole Anthony is perhaps in the crosshairs the most as he prepares to end his rookie contract.

The draft will be the first decision point for the Magic to decide what to do with their point guard situation. Anthony Black, Cason Wallace and perhaps even Scoot Henderson are on the table for potential picks to bolster the guard and point guard position.

What they do will be a clue to their offseason plans involving both Fultz and Anthony — both players are extension eligible.

In the past week or so leading up to the NBA Draft, there has been lots of circulation on Twitter relating to Anthony being traded as the Magic have a lot to bargain with. That is because it is still uncertain whether or how much the Magic will offer Anthony in extension talks this offseason.

This is just an example of a hot topic within the Orlando Magic community.

The Magic will need to make an evaluation of Anthony and decide what they plan to do with him and how much he is actually worth.

But like so many players on this roster, he he has provided numbers that suggest he can fill a great role with a team building quickly back towards competitiveness. He has earned an opportunity to show what he can do before the team makes that final choice.

Anthony played very well in a sixth-man role for Orlando in 2023.

He averaged 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He did all of this while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. After the All-Star Break, Anthony went on a tear averaging 14.9 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 3.6 assists per game on 47.1/41.8/91.4 shooting splits.

This makes him a great trade piece but also has made him a pretty good player off of the bench.

But the Magic’s guard room is getting crowded — and two more draft picks including potentially Ausar Thompson, Cason Wallace or Anthony Black — and the incumbent guards in Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs.

The Magic love their versatility but they only have so many minutes to distribute.

The Magic are still fairly invested in Suggs even though he has struggled with health and shooting.

At the same time Anthony was sparking after the All-Star Break, Suggs started to establish himself well too, averaging 10.7 points per game on 40.3/36.0/79.1 shooting splits. In 19 starts, he averaged 12.1 points per game and 4.4 assists per game.

The Magic also have some questions at shooting guard. But the team either seems to be OK letting Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs fight for that spot or may look to the Draft — Gradey Dick, Anthony Black, Ausar Thompson and Bilal Coulibaly are options — or to free agency to resolve those issues.

Harris is coming off a solid season for the Magic where he slotted in as the fifth option and buried threes when he got the chance, hitting 43.1 percent from deep. He just struggled to stay healthy, appearing in 48 games.

That is the key separation between Anthony and the combo of Harris and Suggs. Anthony has been healthier and/or played in more games. In 2023, Anthony appeared in 60 games and this high level of play kept him making impactful plays for Orlando.

This almost shifts trade talks away from Anthony. But, at the same time, Suggs is a former top-five pick with only two seasons under his belt. It may be jumping the gun to write him off due to injuries that have held him back.

It will be a very interesting offseason for Anthony as he currently sits among a good amount of talented guards in Orlando. His talent is both a great enough reason to keep him with the Magic, but it also makes for a good trade if the team sees him that way.