After earning All-American honors as a sophomore in 2013–14, he declared for the 2014 NBA draft and was selected in the first round with the 30th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs.

Nicknamed "Slow Mo", Anderson developed the ball-handling skills of a point guard at an early age, but his height provided him the versatility to play as a forward.

One of the top recruits out of high school, Anderson was named second-team all-conference in the Pac-12 as a freshman at UCLA while playing mostly at forward.

In 2023, Anderson became a naturalized Chinese citizen and played for their national team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

[3] Anderson was born on September 20, 1993, in New York City, and grew up in New Jersey in North Bergen before moving to Fairview while in high school.

[5] Anderson's father, who played basketball at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and became a longtime high school coach in New Jersey, groomed him to be a point guard.

"[8] Anderson committed on September 19, 2011, to attending University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play Division I basketball for the Bruins.

A major factor in his decision was UCLA coach Ben Howland's record of grooming successful point guards in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

[7] New Bruins coach Steve Alford, who replaced the fired Howland, moved Anderson back to his natural position at point guard.

[21][23] On November 29, UCLA was co-champion of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational with Missouri, and Anderson was named the tournament's MVP, as the Bruins started the season with a 7–0 record.

[26] "I don’t know that I’ve ever seen [those numbers] and just one turnover for a point guard,” said Arizona coach Sean Miller of Anderson's performance.

[27] Averaging 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, Anderson was called "the nation's top triple-double threat" by the Orange County Register.

[37] While he disproved detractors who thought his style would not translate to success at the major college level, critics also said his lack of quickness would be an impediment in the NBA.

In six summer league games, he spent most of the time on the wing with some minutes at power forward, but rarely as a point guard.

Anderson shot just 1-of-8, but displayed his skill set with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals; he also acted as San Antonio's primary ball handler during the fourth quarter.

[43][45] On December 10 with five Spurs out due to a combination of injuries or rest, Anderson made his first NBA start and scored nine points in a 109–95 win over the New York Knicks.

[46] He continued to receive playing time while starting small forward Kawhi Leonard remained out for an extended period with a hand injury.

[49] He was named the NBA Development League Player of the Month for February, when he averaged 22.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, leading Austin to an 8–1 record.

[54] In the regular season finale, he had his first double-double in the NBA with 15 points and 10 rebounds, leading the short-handed Spurs to a 96–91 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

[59][60] The Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals, when Anderson scored a season-high 20 points and added seven rebounds and four steals in the season-ending Game 4 loss to Golden State.

[63] At Oklahoma City on December 3, Anderson started at power forward in place of a resting LaMarcus Aldridge when he suffered a grade 1 strain to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of his left knee in the third quarter.

He signed a four-year deal with the Grizzlies worth $37.2 million after the Spurs declined to match the offer sheet.

[73] Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace called Anderson their "main target" in free agency, and vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger cited the value in his ballhandling and playmaking ability.

[76] In April, he underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery to address his right shoulder soreness and other affiliated symptoms.

[80] Anderson was still experiencing discomfort from the shoulder surgery as preseason began in 2019–20, and there were doubts on his health for the upcoming season.

[90] Anderson moved to the bench the following season after Memphis decided to emphasize Jaren Jackson Jr., coupled with their acquisition of Steven Adams.

[3] Out of high school, Anderson was considered capable of playing any of four positions on the court, from point guard to power forward, drawing comparisons to basketball legend Magic Johnson.

"[107] During his sophomore year in UCLA, CBSSports.com wrote that Anderson was "starting to look more and more like the Magic Johnson of the 2013–14 season in college basketball.

[113][114] He was a unique talent with a size advantage to post up smaller defenders down low, and the ball-handling skills to run the offense from the top of the key.

[114][120][121] His methodical style earned him the nickname "Slow Mo" in eighth grade in AAU, and the name has stuck with him.