The Washington Wizards reportedly had a work out with UNC star Cole Anthony, a prospect they could potentially select with their 9th overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. According to Quinton Mayo of NBC Sports, Anthony, son of 12-year NBA veteran Greg Anthony, could be a possible successor to incumbent All-Star point guard John Wall.
The younger Anthony has also worked out for the Magic and Heat. He said his workouts with the Wizards and Magic went better than the one with Miami. Of his meeting with the Wizards, he said it “went really, really well.”
If the Wizards took a point guard like Anthony with the ninth pick, or if they traded back to get him, that would be interesting given their most accomplished and highest-paid player, John Wall, is a point guard. But Anthony could serve as his back-up initially and possibly replace Wall long-term.
Anthony, a 6-foot-3 speedster who could light up the box score, is among the crop of point guards looking to land in the lottery on November 18th. However, much like many prospects in this draft, the 2nd generation player is projected all over the place. He could end up either being a mid to low lottery selection or end up getting picked outside of the top-14 altogether.
Anthony showed plenty of promise in his lone season with the Tar Heels, averaging 18.5 points and 4.0 assists. However, there were major concerns in terms of his efficiency, shooting just 38 percent from the field and committing 3.5 turnovers a night. Likewise, there were some red flags about his presence as a teammate in the locker room and his on-court decision-making as well. Nonetheless, he carries a ton of potential as an elite scoring option at the point guard spot.
Certainly, it wouldn't be wrong for the Wizards to give a shot at Anthony. John Wall, who is still under contract for $132.9 million over the next three seasons, is coming off two injury-riddled campaigns and a serious Achilles tear into this upcoming season. For a player that relies on his explosiveness, it's possible that the former no. 1 overall pick may not return to his All-Star form.
Washington is doing its due diligence by looking toward the future. Could Anthony end up becoming a major part of that?
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