By Mallory Mattingly
Former Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony took his trade to the Memphis Grizzlies on Jun 15 hard, deleting all his social media posts and turning his profile picture to black.
His response wasn’t necessarily surprising. Anthony played “five seasons with the Magic since he was selected by Orlando in the first round of the 2020 draft. He averaged 9.4 points through 67 games, mostly off the bench, last season,” per Bleacher Report.
But nearly a month later, Anthony finally broke his silence on the trade.
“Orlandoooooo! I know this took me a while, but I had to find the right words,” he began in a post on Instagram. “This city became home, and some people even became family. To the fans: thank you for believing in me, standing by me, and making every moment count. I gave you everything I had, and you gave me even more in return. I’ll carry this chapter in my heart forever.
“To my teammates, y’all already know wassup, We locked in! To the organization & coaching staff — thank you for the opportunity to grow, learn, and lead over these last 5 years,” Anthony added. “Much love always. See y’all 🔜 💙 #ThankYouOrlando #50Out”
Anthony understands that the trade wasn’t personal as he wasn’t producing the results he needed to stay with the Magic.
“It’s not really that much to it. [I] wasn’t playing that well, me and (Magic coach Jamahl Mosley) had a conversation,” he told CBS Sports. “He keeps it a buck with me, I’m gonna keep it a buck with him. And I mean, this is what happens. It’s a business, man.”
His future is still uncertain, though. The first-round pick was bought out by the Grizzlies last week and will now sign with the Milwaukee Bucks after a tryout.
“Cole Anthony has agreed to a contract buyout with the Grizzlies and plans to sign with the Bucks after he clears waivers, per @shams,” Bleacher Report shared on Instagram.
Related: Orlando Magic Guard Leans on God’s ‘Love’ for Epic Second-Half Comeback
ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the Grizzlies “have been working with Anthony’s representatives toward a resolution that allows him to find a new home and creates space for Memphis to renegotiate-and-extend Jaren Jackson Jr.”
Wherever he ends up, Anthony knows about resilience, even writing a children’s book about it.
The Big Tryout “is all about inspiring our young readers to embrace the power of self-belief, confidence, and resilience. ‘We believe that every kid has the potential to be a star, and we can’t wait for them to join us on this journey!’” Anthony shared on Instagram earlier this year about the book.
Hopefully he can take that mindset into his play on his new team.
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