Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
LeBron James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, and fellow Klutch Sports Group client Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed suit not long after. Caldwell-Pope was seen celebrating reuniting with James in Philadelphia after the news broke, and he has now explained his decision to sign with the 76ers on The Dawg Talk Podcast.
“Meaningful basketball,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I just want to get back to playing meaningful basketball. Playing for something, like you saying, for another championship. I say that area again, that spotlight, the playoffs. Ain’t nothing like it. And in the competition, the competitiveness, just I want it. I still got a lot of years in me that I can still can go.”
Caldwell-Pope had spent the 2025-26 season with the rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies. The 33-year-old averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game as the Grizzlies finished with a 25-57 record. Considering the direction the team was going, it had seemed inevitable the veteran would be on his way out at some point. The only questions were when and how.
The Grizzlies would eventually reach a buyout agreement with Caldwell-Pope on July 25, allowing him to then sign a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the 76ers. He now gets to play with James again, and these two had won a championship together with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. They’ll now look to repeat that feat in Philadelphia.
To go with James, the 76ers have Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe. This is very much a superteam. Caldwell-Pope expects opponents to have a very hard time against the 76ers and thinks James is going to shine.
“He’s going to control the floor a little bit,” Caldwell-Pope said. “He ain’t just fall back and just be out there. He’s got a great presence… He gonna demand the ball, or like once he get the ball, he’s going to cause like defense to react. Whether it’s a double team or just shifting to him early so they leave like a Maxey wide open for them pull up threes or spot up threes… The thing is how do you help? You can’t help.”
The big guns might take time to adjust to playing with each other. There is only one basketball, so there will be growing pains. They should eventually figure things out.
What we can’t be so sure about is Caldwell-Pope’s play. He is an elite 3-and-D player at his best, but hasn’t been at his best for a while now.
The last time we saw Caldwell-Pope operate at a high level was during his time with the Denver Nuggets. He played a key role in the Nuggets’ title run in 2023 and then left for the Orlando Magic in 2024.
The Magic, who were ascending at the time, signed Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million contract. He was viewed as a great fit with his defense and shooting, but things didn’t go according to plan.
Caldwell-Pope’s outside shot deserted him in Orlando, as he shot 34.2% from three in 2024-25. He looked like a shell of the player he had been with the Nuggets. The Magic would choose to cut ties with Caldwell-Pope after just one season, as they sent him to the Grizzlies as part of the Desmond Bane trade in 2025.
The Grizzlies might have been hoping to rebuild Caldwell-Pope’s value last season, but it wasn’t to be. He only shot 31.6% from three, and if those outside shots aren’t falling next season with the 76ers, we won’t see much of him on the court.
The hope would be that playing for a title contender again rejuvenates Caldwell-Pope, and it will be interesting to see if it does.