Cole Anthony.
His lone season in Chapel Hill will be memorable for plenty of things, but more importantly, it was during the time our world entered a historic pandemic. COVID-19. What happened on the Roy Williams court during the 2019-20 year may go down as one of, if not the worst, in program history as the team ended the season with a 14-19 record. Carolina fans faced the trouble of watching their team fall time and time again.
For more context, Anthony came in during the same time as former big man and all-time leading rebounder, Armando Bacot. However, those two went different ways after their shared season, as Bacot stayed for five years in Chapel Hill, while Anthony went to the NBA, being selected with the 15th pick in 2020.
Fast forward, the Orlando Magic are reportedly willing to trade him in a package deal with teammate Jonathan Isaac, along with two first-round picks. Evan Sidery shared the news on X (formerly Twitter):
The Magic are open to packaging Jonathan Isaac and/or Cole Anthony with their two first-round draft picks to acquire a rotational upgrade, per @KevinOConnorNBA (https://t.co/83mrUvHX3a).
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 10, 2025
Orlando is ready to officially go into win-now mode in the Eastern Conference. pic.twitter.com/tRZcEq7six
Anthony averaged nine points, three rebounds, and two assists while shooting 42% from the field this past year. These numbers are the lowest of his career so far, as Anthony's usage has dropped since his rookie year. In comparison, he recorded 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game on 27 minutes of play. This time around, he is receiving 18 minutes per contest.
Sporting his dad's jersey number, 50, Anthony is finding his way through the always-changing NBA environment. One where players are moving from team to team, whether it's through free agency or a trade. And in some instances, where star players are on the move, such as Luka Doncic going to the Los Angeles Lakers following Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison's decision to trade for NBA champion Anthony Davis.
If Anthony does end up elsewhere before the next NBA year begins, that team is going to get a scorer who has proven to get the job done, as the Portland, Oregon native was a factor in many clutch moments playing for Orlando and then some.