3 Players the Orlando Magic could trade or cut this summer but shouldn't

1. Cole Anthony

Another hot name for Orlando during recent trade rumors is the team’s sixth man, Cole Anthony. Anthony is under contract through 2026-2027 but has gotten the attention of many teams in the league as a potential trade candidate due to his solid play off the bench and Orlando's log jam of young guards.

Anthony had a mostly great year coming off the bench for Orlando, but some injuries and cold spells did make it slightly inconsistent at times. Despite those setbacks, he was the Magic’s leading scorer coming off the bench, and for a team that was not always great at scoring, he brought a much-needed boost, averaging 11.6 points and 2.9 assists during the regular season. For good measure, the smaller guard was also not afraid to get his hands dirty and averaged 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks) per game.

Drafted 15th overall during the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony has been with Orlando every year since and has become a fan favorite with his funny interviews, love of pop culture, and exciting play on the court. Not many guys for Orlando in the past decade have hit buzzer-beating game-winners and slammed rim-rocking dunks, but Anthony has done both and been as fun as any player on the Magic to watch while doing it.

While Orlando does have some obvious improvements it needs to make this offseason, the subtraction of Cole Anthony would seem counterproductive to the Magic’s big picture. Orlando needs MORE shooting and MORE scoring. Not to get rid of one of the better shooters/scorers they already have.

For team comradery as well as production, Orlando will only benefit from seeing Anthony return to the Magic next season.