Kentavious Caldwell-Pope won a title with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Now he’s going to try to win another championship with him in Philadelphia.
Chris Haynes reported late Friday that Caldwell-Pope, a Klutch Sports client like James, is negotiating a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies. His intention is to reunite with James on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an ideal LeBron James teammate
Caldwell-Pope was a perfect fit as a three-and-D wing alongside James, making 45 three-pointers and shooting 37.8 percent from deep. He had an even better season in 2020-21, making 41 percent of his threes while finishing 11th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Caldwell-Pope played tough defense, knocked down shots and didn’t need the ball in his hands.
But when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in the summer of 2021, they sent KCP to the Washington Wizards in the deal. That trade was a disaster for the Lakers but ultimately a boon for Caldwell-Pope, who ended up winning a second ring in 2023 after being traded to the Denver Nuggets.
He signed a big free-agent deal with the Orlando Magic in 2024, got traded to the Grizzlies last summer and is now in the final year of his deal, while woefully out of place on the young, rebuilding Grizzlies. A buyout that saves Memphis money and allows Caldwell-Pope to play for a contender is a clear win for both sides.
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