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Sixers Reportedly Signing Veteran Guard on Heels of LeBron James Addition
By Sean Barnard
Published:
Mike Gansey and the rest of the Sixers front office are not done completing this new-look roster just yet. Just a few weeks removed from the blockbuster Jaylen Brown trade and a few hours removed from the LeBron James free agency announcement, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the latest player to make his way to South Philly to join the Sixers following his buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies.
NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes was first to report this.
Caldwell-Pope is a familiar teammate of LeBron James, part of the 2019-20 Lakers team that won the bubble championship. The 13-year NBA veteran was also a part of the Denver Nuggets’ championship run in the 2023-24 season. KCP is 33 now, a three-and-D style of player that every team needs. He has career averages of 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 29.2 minutes per night.
It’s been a tough past two seasons for Caldwell-Pope, meaning he needed a change of scenery to return to his championship-type form, or that his best days are truly behind him. After shooting 36.9% from beyond the three-point arc across the first 11 years of his career, including shooting 40.6% or greater in three seasons, he has shot 34.2% and 31.6% over the past two years. The Georgia product was discussed as a potential backup plan for the Sixers if Daryl Morey was unable to pull off the Paul George addition during free agency two summers ago. While the George signing did not work out as desired either, Caldwell-Pope has had an even more significant fall from grace. He was traded from the Magic to the Grizzlies before last season as part of the Desmond Bane move, and it’s worth noting that he is also represented by Klutch Sports just as LeBron James is.
Perhaps the most notable storyline is the corresponding move. The Sixers had a full roster before the Caldwell-Pope signing and are hard-capped at the first apron. This means they will need to shed some salary for the James signing to even become official and make room for KCP. The most obvious candidates are Dalen Terry and Jabari Walker, who are each on non-guaranteed contracts, so the Sixers would take no financial penalty by releasing them. Walker opened some eyes last season and felt a bit underutilized by the Sixers, posting averages of 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in just 11.9 minutes per game. Terry was an addition later on in the season and had a few flashes but played just 174 total minutes across 14 games. Philadelphia could also look to trade a player in a salary-dump effort as a solution, with last year’s 35th overall pick Johni Broome and his $2.2 million salary the most likely name here.
While Gansey and the rest of the front office discuss the best form of salary cap gymnastics, it is clear this is a team that has changed its perception in the NBA standings in a major way. Caldwell-Pope is a low-risk, high-reward addition that is totally fine to keep at the end of the bench and could end up being extremely useful if he finds his stride again. While there are plenty of guards on the Sixers’ roster already, Caldwell-Pope’s defensive-minded style provides a bit of a different look compared to the other bench options in Anfernee Simons and Labaron Philon Jr.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.