Age
There is no other way to say it, Kentavious is a great fit in Los Angeles. He is the perfect complement to Lonzo Ball in the backcourt. He has everything the Lakers are looking for both offensively and defensively. The 3-and-D guy which has become so essential in the NBA and is moving from a role player, as the standard set by Danny Green, to star (e.g. Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard).
But there is another reason why he is such a great addition: his fit with Lakers’ young core. At 24-years old starting the season, he still has to enter his prime and has his best years are in front of him.
It would be great to secure KCP long term and have him in L.A. for his peak years, but it is no secret that the Lakers have big plans for the 2018 summer and maintaining flexibility is the No. 1 priority. At the same time, it is very well known that Caldwell-Pope is seeking a max-contract (which would start at about $24 million). That is the reason why a one-year $18 million agreement worked so well for both parts.
Should the Lakers fulfill their dreams and get the stars they desire (tampering alert), Caldwell-Pope would be the icing on the cake, but it would take Magic Johnson some real cap magic to be able to re-sign him to a max contract.
In case they miss on one of their primary objectives, he would be a great contingency plan and he would become part of a great growing core with Ball, Brandon Ingram and the others.