1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Last season the Lakers took advantage of the free agency process, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope away from the Detroit Pistons after the allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. They signed him to a one-year balloon deal, giving him $18 million.
It was a worthwhile investment, as it got them in with LeBron James’ agent, legally, a year prior to James’ own free agency. Los Angeles retained KCP this offseason, signing him to another one-year deal. Unfortunately, he has not produced at the same level this season as last season.
Caldwell-Pope has seen his playing time be cut down drastically, resulting in his statistics dropping across the board. His skill set was expected to be a great fit alongside LeBron James, but things have not worked out as planned.
Despite the struggles with the Lakers, he is someone that could be valued on the trade market. His 3-point shooting and defense is something contending teams covet during the postseason. He is also on an expiring contract, so teams won’t have to commit to him beyond the remainder of this season.
The Houston Rockets have been one team linked to KCP already this season. If the Lakers do want to acquire Anthony, Caldwell-Pope is the likeliest player to be on the move. Given his contract and performance this season, it shouldn’t cost much to acquire him.