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Recent Bucks Guard Leaves NBA for Top Australian Team
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- Recent Bucks Guard Leaves NBA for Top Australian Team
After one season sent deep on the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, Cole Anthony is heading to the land down under.
Per a report from Olgun Uluc , Anthony is signing a one-year deal with Melbourne United, one of the premier teams in the National Basketball League, Australia's top professional basketball league.
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Anthony has played six seasons in the NBA, five of which were with the Orlando Magic after being drafted by Orlando 15th-overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and most recently played 35 games for the Bucks on a one-year contract, averaging 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.4% from the field and 30.6% from three.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cole Anthony (50) takes a shot during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Melbourne United finished fourth in the NBL last season with a 20-13 record and now represent a second career for Anthony after playing just 15.1 minutes per game with the Bucks, the lowest minutes per game of his career.
No Opportunity With Milwaukee
Anthony's opportunities would have been even more limited had he stayed with the Bucks, as the one area where Milwaukee stands out in is backcourt depth .
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It isn't a huge loss for the Bucks due to that depth, and with Anthony's downward trend of usage throughout his career, he likely wasn't going to have much of an opportunity around the rest of the league or finding a lot of interest from other teams either.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cole Anthony (50) takes a shot during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
A second career overseas is a common move for a lot of players who have found their roles dwindle in the NBA and with just a one-year commitment at 26-years-old, Anthony could still work his way back to the NBA one day should he impress in Melbourne.
Final Stages of the Offseason for Milwaukee
The Bucks' offseason is nearly complete , save for addressing a significant gap at power forward at the moment, and Anthony very likely wouldn't have a place in that lineup anyways.
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Anthony reached the height of his career during the 2021-22 season, his sophomore campaign with Orlando, when he started all 65 games that he played and averaged a career-high 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cole Anthony (50) dribbles past San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
But, that would also be the last season where Anthony was a full-time starter and he saw himself slip further and further down the bench of both Orlando and Milwaukee as his career went on.
He may have a larger role with Melbourne United or he may still be a bench player, but either way, he'll be keeping his career going overseas.
