Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is looking forward to competing alongside LeBron James once again as the two former Los Angeles Lakers teammates prepare to reunite with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Caldwell-Pope is set to join Philadelphia on a one-year, $3.9 million contract after reaching a buyout agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Caldwell-Pope wants to play for another championship
Discussing his move to Philadelphia and the opportunity to reunite with James, Caldwell-Pope made it clear that returning to meaningful postseason basketball was one of his main priorities.
"I just want to get back to playing meaningful basketball," Caldwell-Pope said on The Dawg Talk Podcast. "Like playing for something, like you're saying, for another championship.
"I miss that area again, that spotlight, you know, the playoffs, man. Ain't nothing like it, man. And the competition, like the competitiveness, I just want it. I still got a lot of years in me that I can still go."
The veteran guard is coming off a difficult 2025-26 campaign with Memphis. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds across 51 appearances before undergoing surgery on his right pinkie finger and missing the final 31 games of the season.
Reuniting with James after Lakers championship run
Caldwell-Pope and James previously spent three seasons together with the Lakers between 2018 and 2021.
They played important roles in Los Angeles' 2020 championship run, with Caldwell-Pope emerging as one of the team's most reliable perimeter defenders and outside shooters.
The guard started all 21 playoff games during that postseason, averaging 10.7 points while shooting 37.8% from three-point range. James, meanwhile, was named Finals MVP after leading the Lakers past the Miami Heat.
Caldwell-Pope later captured his second NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
Now 33, the two-time NBA champion is expected to provide Philadelphia with additional perimeter defense, shooting, and championship experience as the Sixers build a roster around James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown.