The 2020 NBA Draft is looking to be absolutely stacked with guard and wing talent at the top of the draft. Things could change quickly, but it's an intriguing point guard crop that includes Arizona's Nico Mannion, Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball of the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL.
But perhaps the best prospect and most well-known player of the 2020 draft point guard crop is North Carolina freshman Cole Anthony. Cole is the son of 11-year NBA veteran Greg Anthony and was a highly touted recruit (No. 3 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI)) and has lived up to the hype so far. North Carolina announced on Tuesday that Anthony will be out 4-6 weeks after having surgery for a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.
Before going down with the aforementioned right knee injury, Anthony was averaging 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 35.5% from the 3-point line.
Anthony set the North Carolina record for points in a debut by a freshman, racking up 34 points in an 11-point win over Notre Dame.
The injury could not have come at a worse time for Roy Williams and the Tar Heels, who just lost to Wofford heading into a matchup with No. 2 Gonzaga. North Carolina is currently 6-4 and appears to be in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in Williams' long and illustrious tenure. Anthony is a do-it-all force for the Tar Heels and has 152 field goal attempts on the season, with no other UNC player having at least 90.
News
Following his surgery, Anthony is expected to be out about a month. This shouldn't affect his long-term prospects in terms of the NBA Draft too much, but his injury status is definitely something to keep an eye on as we get closer to June. The Bulls entered Tuesday morning with the seventh best draft lottery odds at the moment — sound familiar? — which carries a 31.9% chance at a top-four pick and a 7.5% chance at the No. 1 pick.
The Bulls may not be in the market for a point guard specifically after drafting Coby White No. 7 overall in 2019 and trading for and then signing Tomas Satoransky to a three-year deal worth $30 million, but at this stage of their rebuild they need star power and that means drafting the best player available in 2020 and that very well could be Anthony.
Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Bulls easily on your device.