NBA Draft 2020: 5 best fits for Cole Anthony

2. Dallas Mavericks

Sliding far past the backend of the lottery and into the late-teens is well within the range of outcomes for Cole Anthony on draft night, and if he were to somehow still be available come the 18th pick, he could be stumbling into the best offensive situation imaginable. Champions of the best offensive rating in league history, the Dallas Mavericks blitzed opposing defenses behind the basketball genius of 21-year-old Luka Dončić, with the second-year star compiling near triple-double averages of 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists.

Imaging a role for Anthony on the Mavericks doesn’t take much mental effort, especially under the tutelage of a creative guard-friendly coach in Rick Carlisle. Playing alongside an engine in Dončić would decrease Anthony’s responsibilities as a creator, cutting down on the visionary drawbacks that come with a heavy on-ball load (chief among them being his inconsistent vision) while allowing him to attack defenses that Dončić has already tilted. Kristaps Porzingis proved to be a legitimate second star in his first healthy season with Dallas, scoring 20.4 points per game as a pick-and-pop spacer and serving as a resourceful backline stopper (+2.47 DPIPM, 12th overall).

The Mavericks already employ a revolving door of guards to throw next to Dončić and Porzingis (Seth Curry, Jalen Brunson, Delon Wright), but none offer the complementary shot creation that Anthony would bring to the team, whether he begins his career as a bench sparkplug or an early starter with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith.  Defense matters, of course, and the Mavericks may look to add frontcourt depth or a more defensive-minded wing with their pick, but a lack of future draft capital (they owe their 2021 and 2023 first-rounders to New York) makes the NBA-ready Anthony a hard prospect to pass on with the 18th pick.