The Magic Insider

Re-Draft Shows Orlando Magic's Cole Anthony May Have Been A Steal In 2020

Cole Anthony may have been a steal for the Orlando Magic in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony reacts after making a there point shot against the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony reacts after making a there point shot against the Atlanta Hawks. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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It's been almost five years since the Orlando Magic selected Cole Anthony with the No. 15 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Hindsight is 20/20, and Anthony has been better than expected for the Magic so far in his career.

HoopsHype recently conducted a 2020 re-draft exercise where Anthony was named the 12th-best player from the class.

"A bit of a shot-chucker who can get hot on occasion, Cole Anthony just averaged a career-low in points at 9.4 per game," HoopsHype wrote.

"Anthony’s not the most efficient shooter nor a great finisher down low, but he can get hot from time to time and have a random scoring explosion here and there. All in all, Anthony’s output so far in the NBA has been about as expected for someone drafted where he was."

Only six of the 14 lottery players selected before Anthony are still with the team that drafted them, so that's a sign favoring the Magic's choice to take the North Carolina guard. Granted, one of the players ahead of him in the re-draft is Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been arguably the biggest star in the NBA playoffs this spring. He was taken by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 12 pick back in 2020.

Anthony has two years remaining on his contract, including a team option for the 2026-27 season.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.