5 Trades that get Cole Anthony off the Orlando Magic
By Tyler Watts
Orlando Magic, Cole Anthony. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
3. Rockets further upgrade their roster
The Houston Rockets want to end their rebuild and get back into the playoffs in 2024. They owe their first-round pick to the Thunder and do not want to hand OKC a lottery selection. The Rockets signed Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, and Jock Landale in free agency this summer to add to their young core, but Houston needs to do more if they plan on getting back into the postseason mix.
The Rockets need a sixth man behind Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green in the backcourt. Amen Thompson will handle the ball plenty, but Houston cannot rely on a rookie to be their primary scorer off the bench if they plan on reaching the playoffs. They may try to snag Cole Anthony to lead their second unit.
The Houston Rockets have six core pieces under 23 years old. They are still a young team with a bright future. Houston should be looking to add to that with someone like Cole Anthony. The 23-year-old showed vast improvement last season and is still a couple of years away from his prime.
The Orlando Magic pick up Jae’Sean Tate, who could help off their bench plus a second-round pick in next summer’s draft and a first-round pick swap in 2025. It is not a massive haul, but just enough for the Orlando Magic to clear their logjam and move on from Cole Anthony.
The Magic should avoid dealing Cole Anthony as the headliner and instead make him part of the package for an upgrade. Orlando hopes to jump back into the playoff mix in 2024 and upgrading their roster is a necessity.