Recent Lakers rumors have emerged about the New York Knicks being interested in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
After beating the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon, Lakers rumors emerged about the Knicks being interested in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Despite getting off to a good start this season, the Knicks have been sputtering of late.
While they do have a great building block in Kristaps Porzinigis, the Knicks are trying to surround him with the proper talent to help him thrive. Even though they have exceeded expectations without Carmelo Anthony this season, there is still a lot of work to be done in New York.
One of the needs for the Knicks is an athletic wing player. While the Knicks might not be willing to trade assets for Caldwell-Pope this season, they are certainly interested in him as a free agent after the season according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Here’s what Bondy had to say about the Knicks’ interest in KCP.
"One of that ilk who has piqued New York’s interest is Lakers forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Caldwell-Pope certainly fits the ideal at just 24 years old with potential as an elite perimeter defender. He does carry some baggage, however, after serving a jail sentence this season for violating probation."
The Lakers signing Caldwell-Pope certainly came as a surprise this season, as he ended up becoming an unrestricted free agent when the Pistons decided to move forward with Avery Bradley instead of him.
Caldwell-Pope signed a lucrative one-year deal with the Lakers for $18 million this season, as it was a good deal for both sides. Despite being paid a lot of money, Caldwell-Pope hasn’t quite performed up to expectations, and he certainly hasn’t taken a step forward as a young player.
With some issues off the court, Caldwell-Pope might have hurt himself in his contract year. As a player that wanted to be paid big bucks in the offseason, Caldwell-Pope might find that his mistakes off the court will hurt him in contract negotiations.
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Since there is still a lot of basketball to be played this season, Caldwell-Pope can certainly help himself with a strong second half of the season. However, did recently suffer an achillies injury that has kept him out the past few games. Getting healthy is certainly the priority for KCP right now, but he could be an attractive trade chip for the Lakers before the NBA Trade Deadline.