Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will give the Sixers another veteran with championship experience and familiarity in playing alongside LeBron Jamesbut he may not be a regular part of the rotation, Adam Aaronson of The PhillyVoice writes in a mailbag column. Caldwell-Pope cleared waivers on Tuesday following Sunday’s buyout agreement with Memphis and is expected to sign soon now that Philadelphia has opened up room under its first-apron hard cap for his veteran’s minimum contract by trading of John Broome.
Coach Nick Nurse prefers to use a nine-man rotation, notes Aaronson, who expects free agent additions Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons to see the most minutes off the bench, along with one of the backup centers. That leaves Caldwell-Pope battling for playing time with Dominick Barlowwho appeared in 71 games with the Sixers last season and made 59 starts, and possibly rookie point guard Labaron Philon Jr.
Caldwell-Pope shot just 41% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range with Memphis last season, but Aaronson believes he was “woefully miscast” after being acquired from Orlando. Aaronson also calls Caldwell-Pope’s veteran’s minimum contract “a worthy use of a roster spot” and states that he has a history of blending in well with elite players, which should eventually make him a valuable addition.
There’s more on the Sixers:
- After shaking up their roster over the past month, there’s an obvious need for a backup center, where the only current options behind Joel Embiid are Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti and a variety of potential small-ball fives, Aaronson adds. He suggests Yves Missi could be a possibility if the Pelicans continue to put him on the trade market. Missi will earn $3.5MM this season and at 22 is young enough to develop into a long-term answer in the middle. Aaronson notes that Missi won’t be cheap, and the Sixers might have to part with their 2033 first-round pick or Philon to get New Orleans to agree to a deal. If that doesn’t work out, Aaronson views Jaxson Hayeswho recently signed with the Jazzas another big man who might be obtainable.
- In a video explaining his decision to start his own shoe brand, Jaylen Brown indicates that he believes he deserved MVP honors with Boston last season (YouTube link hat tip to HoopsHype). “I’ve been a top five MVP candidate. Should have been top one, but the media votes for that,” he said. “All-star, all-star starter, all these different things, and they just keep moving the bar on me, and that’s fine, because I’m not chasing their bar, I’m chasing my own. I’m going to get even better. That’s why I’m here, to get even better at the details and efficiency, because people think they’ve seen the best version of me and they want me to see me fail or move the bar.”
- James’ decision to sign with Philadelphia has helped him set another record, per Ariel Simpson of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). According to Fanatics, James’ new Sixers jersey is the biggest seller ever across all sports for a player changing teams, topping the mark set by Shohei Ohtani when he joined the Dodgers in 2023.
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