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NBA Draft 2020: 5 best fits for Cole Anthony

By Trevor Marks

Cole Anthony, North Carolina Tar Heels, (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Cole Anthony, North Carolina Tar Heels, (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 25: Cole Anthony #2 of the University of North Carolina dunks the ball during a game between NC State and North Carolina at Dean E. Smith Center on February 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 25: Cole Anthony #2 of the University of North Carolina dunks the ball during a game between NC State and North Carolina at Dean E. Smith Center on February 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

4. Phoenix Suns

The Bubble Suns were a revelation throughout the seeding period in Orlando, finishing their stay at the Wide World of Sports Complex with a perfect 8-0 record and falling just short of a play-in berth, sharing a 34-39 record with the Memphis Grizzlies and losing by a mere tie-breaker. It was a team-wide effort, supercharged by Devin Booker’s Herculean offense (30.5 points, 6.0 assists, 62.7 true shooting percentage) and strong play up and down the roster, from Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson’s two-way play on the wing to Cameron Payne’s emergence as a viable backup guard in the NBA. Lest we forget Ricky Rubio’s patient table-setting, Dario Šarić operating as a strong sixth man, and Deandre Ayton’s defensive ceiling rising after stark improvements as a paint protector.

The Suns have built a future that looks far brighter than many anticipated, with coach Monty Williams fostering an ecosystem that its young players are thriving in. This all makes Phoenix a strong destination for Cole Anthony, who would have a stable of 3-and-D wings, viable pick-and-roll bigs, a star he can play off of, and a veteran facilitator that he can play behind until his contract expires (Rubio is under contract through the 2021-22 season). A Booker-Anthony backcourt would be rough defensively, but there’s enough help on the wings and in the backline to believe that it could be survivable — bad, but survivable — in the future, if we’re expecting further growth from the core.

Phoenix is at a bit of a mini-inflection point this offseason, in the sense that there are multiple directions the front office can go with filling out the bench. Aron Baynes, Jevon Carter, and Šarić are heading into free agency, Payne and Elie Okobo are on non-guaranteed deals, and Kelly Oubre (18.7 points) is entering the last year of his deal. Who exactly they bring back could be affected by the team’s lottery selection, whether GM James Jones wants to add another wing (Devin Vassell, Pat Williams), a guard with defensive upside (Killian Hayes, Tyrese Maxey), or a pull-up scorer the caliber of Anthony. Regardless, Phoenix stands as a great fit for Anthony, both in the present and future.

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