By R.L. Bynum

Cole Anthony agreed to a contract extension with the Orlando Magic, the team announced Monday, with ESPN reporting the deal is for three years and $39 million.

Anthony, 23, who starts the fourth year of his NBA career this week after playing the 2019–20 season at North Carolina, would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer and faced a Monday night deadline for rookie extensions. Anthony said at the beginning of camp that he wasn’t worried about that prospect.

Anthony only started four games last season and enters this season as the backup point guard behind Markelle Fultz. Anthony averaged 9.3 points and shot 55.6% in three preseason games after averaging 13 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season for Orlando with career-highs of 45.6% shooting from the floor and 36.4% from 3-point range.

The best of his three seasons was in 2021–22, when he started all of his 65 games and averaged 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists, all career-highs.

Injuries were an issue during his one season at UNC, when he missed six weeks after partially tearing his right meniscus. Injuries, including an oblique injury last season, have continued to be a problem in the NBA, limiting him to 47 games his rookie season, 65 two seasons ago and 60 last season.

In Anthony’s season as a Tar Heel, he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 38% from the floor.

Orlando finished 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference last season with a 34–48 record, but the Magic hopes the franchise can turn its fortunes around this season.