Suns Waive Guard Cole Anthony After Trade

The Phoenix Suns waived guard Cole Anthony on Thursday, February 27, just over three weeks after acquiring him in a multi-team trade before the NBA deadline. The move opens a roster spot for the team, which had kept the 25-year-old on its 15-player active roster despite his absence from practices and games since the deal.

Anthony, the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, joined the Suns alongside forward Amir Coffey in a three-team transaction on February 5. The Bucks sent Anthony and Coffey to Phoenix, while the Suns received center Nick Richards and the Chicago Bulls acquired forward Ousmane Dieng from Milwaukee. In return, Milwaukee gained forward Nigel Hayes-Davis from Phoenix. League sources indicated the trade primarily allowed the Suns to shed salary and dip 2.2 million dollars below the luxury tax threshold, prioritizing financial flexibility and perimeter depth through Coffey, a 6-foot-7 veteran with NBA experience.

During his time with the Bucks this season, Anthony appeared in 35 games off the bench, averaging 6.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. He shot 42.4 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from...