Kentavious Caldwell-Pope spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, with the 2019-20 season being the most memorable, as it resulted in a championship. Since then, he won another title, but with the Nuggets, and a year later, he left Denver to sign a three-year, $66 million deal with the Magic.
Lakers fans enjoyed laughing at the Nuggets for letting KCP go, but in retrospect, his departure played in Denver's favor. Caldwell-Pope's first season in Orlando was a dud, to the point where the Magic traded him this summer to the Grizzlies in the Desmond Bane deal.
KCP fell off last season, averaging 8.7 points (his lowest since he was a rookie) on 43.9% shooting from the field and 34.2% shooting from three (his lowest percentage since he was a rookie). He looked nothing like the player that he was with the Nuggets.
Caldwell-Pope went from winning his second championship as a starter two years ago to being an afterthought.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is coming off a down season
He's back in the West, hoping to prove that last season isn't the new norm for him, but a one-off. If the trend from last season continues, he could be traded again for the second time since signing his three-year deal with Orlando.
Perhaps the change of scenery will benefit KCP. The Grizzlies needed a veteran like him. Playing alongside Ja Morant should benefit the star point guard in more ways than one, as Caldwell-Pope can take on the tough defensive assignments.
Caldwell-Pope is 32, so it's not like he's to the point where he needs to consider retiring. It was only an offseason ago when the Magic were praised by signing him, and the Nuggets were ridiculed for letting him go. His struggles, which lasted all of last season and into the playoffs, sounded an alarm, though. It was quite a drop-off.
There isn't a Lakers fan out there who should be rooting against what's best for KCP, even though he did turn into the enemy when he ended up in Denver. The role that he played for LA during its most recent championship season won't be forgotten, regardless of what happened afterward.
Hopefully, for Caldwell-Pope's sake, he's able to get it together in Memphis. If not, he could turn into a player who hops around from team to team for the final stretch of his NBA career.