Cole Anthony’s New Chapter With the Bucks: Instant-Offense Guard Carves Out a Bigger Role

Cole Anthony’s mid-summer move has quickly turned into one of Milwaukee’s savviest depth plays. After a buyout and minimum signing, the 25-year-old guard has slotted in as a high-octane second-unit creator, flashing the same microwave scoring and pick-and-roll craft that made him a fan favorite earlier in his career. In the first week of action, he’s already produced sharp on-ball minutes and clean decision-making, with a recent 12-minute burst yielding efficient scoring and five dimes—exactly the change-of-pace Milwaukee envisioned.

Why the Bucks wanted Cole Anthony

Milwaukee entered the season needing a guard who could bend defenses without monopolizing touches. Anthony’s profile—downhill first step, pull-up threat, live-dribble passing—checks those boxes. He can play next to a ball-dominant star by spacing to the corners, or he can steer bench units through empty-corner pick-and-roll and Spain actions that open the lane for rim runners. Coaches value his willingness to hunt early-clock advantages but also to make the simple read when the defense collapses.

Tactically, he gives Milwaukee three things the second unit lacked last year:

1. Paint touches on demand to collapse shells and generate kick-out threes.

2. Shot creation late in the clock, limiting empty trips when sets stall.

3. Lineup flexibility, toggling between 1 and 2 depending on partner guards.

Early returns: efficiency in small bursts

Anthony’s first outings with Milwaukee have emphasized quality over volume: quick decisions, smart pacing, and an economy of dribbles. In abbreviated minutes, he’s hit from deep, finished with either hand, and mixed in pocket passes to short-rollers. The Bucks don’t need 20 shots; they need a guard who can win a possession or two every quarter. So far, he’s done that—without the turnovers that sometimes shadow high-usage bench scorers.

One encouraging sign: his catch-and-shoot rhythm looks crisp. If that holds, defenses can’t duck under ball screens, which amplifies his mid-range pull-up and opens lobs and skip passes.

Role outlook: runway widening

With early backcourt dings on the roster testing depth, Anthony’s runway is widening. Expect minutes clustered in two windows: to stabilize non-star lineups and to juice offense after timeouts when the Bucks script sets to free him on the move. Against switch-heavy opponents, Milwaukee can leverage his handle to force mismatches, then flow into post-switch slips that punish slow help.

Defensively, the target is sound containment and clean rotations. He’s at his best when he shades drivers to help and finishes possessions with gang rebounding. If he keeps communication crisp on the back side, he stays on the floor in closing groups when the Bucks need scoring.

Contract and cap snapshot

Anthony joined Milwaukee on a one-year minimum deal for 2025-26, carrying a modest cap hit that fits the team’s tax posture. For player and club, it’s a prove-and-platform arrangement: he gets a featured bench role on a contender; the Bucks get surplus value and optionality next summer.

How Milwaukee can maximize Cole Anthony

• Empty-corner P&R and “77” actions: Clear the strong-side corner to give him space for pocket passes and floaters.

• Second-side triggers: Let stars draw the first trap; swing to Anthony to attack a tilted floor.

• Guard-guard screens: Use him as the handler with a shooter screening to force switches that he can exploit.

• Bench pairings: Line him up with a vertical spacer and a stationary shooter to simplify reads.

What to watch next

1. Free-throw rate: When Anthony’s getting downhill, trips to the line follow. That’s the cleanest indicator his rim pressure is real.

2. Assist-to-turnover pace: Keeping this positive unlocks late-game trust.

3. Catch-and-shoot volume: If he sustains 38–40% on set-ups, opponents must top-lock, and his drives arrive against compromised help.

4. Closing lineups: Monitor whether he earns fourth-quarter stints when Milwaukee needs offense without sacrificing spacing.

Cole Anthony’s start in Milwaukee is exactly what contenders hope for from a value signing: instant offense, adaptable usage, and strides in decision-making. If he maintains this blend—attacking seams while tilting defenses for teammates—he becomes more than a sparkplug. He becomes a pressure valve the Bucks can deploy nightly, with the upside to swing a playoff quarter when it matters most.