The Phoenix Suns have waived guard Cole Anthony, according to multiple reports, ending his brief stint with the franchise less than a month after he was acquired at the NBA trade deadline.
Anthony, a guard who came to Phoenix in a deadline deal, did not appear in a single game for the Suns before being released. His role with the team remained undefined following the trade, and he never logged any on-court minutes in either the regular rotation or in a reserve capacity.
The move signals that Phoenix will head into the remainder of the season without integrating Anthony into its backcourt mix. With established guards already in place, the Suns elected to move forward without carving out playing time for the newly acquired guard, ultimately choosing to part ways.
Anthony’s situation underscores how some deadline acquisitions do not always translate into immediate or long-term roles. While some players dealt at the deadline quickly join a team’s rotation, others become roster flexibility pieces whose futures are determined after teams assess their needs, depth, and overall direction.
By waiving Anthony, Phoenix opens a roster spot that can be used in a variety of ways, including potential signings or short-term additions as the season progresses. The decision also gives Anthony the opportunity to seek a new team and a clearer path to playing time elsewhere in the league.
No additional details regarding the Suns’ internal evaluation of Anthony’s fit, or any specific plans for the newly available roster spot, were immediately available. The timing of the move, coming just weeks after the trade deadline, indicates that the organization chose not to extend the evaluation period into the later stages of the season.
Anthony now enters the next phase of his career looking for another opportunity, while Phoenix continues to shape its roster for the stretch run and beyond without the former deadline acquisition ever having taken the floor in a Suns uniform.
