The Philadelphia 76ers‘ work may not be finished after landing LeBron James.
Veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and intends to reunite with James by signing with Philadelphia once he becomes a free agent.
But adding the two-time NBA champion won’t be as simple as waiting for his buyout to become official.
According to NBA salary cap expert Keith Smith, the 76ers must make yet another roster move before they can complete the reunion.
“We already covered that the Sixers need to move off one player to sign LeBron James,” Smith wrote on X after Haynes’ report. “To sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also, they’ll have to move off another player too. Definitely a couple of additional moves coming from Philadelphia before it’s all put together.”
Smith’s comments highlight the cap hurdles still facing Philadelphia despite James agreeing to a team-friendly two-year, $8 million veteran minimum contract.
Waiving Players Could Be the Fastest Path for 76ers
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks previously explained that Philadelphia already needs to clear salary to fit James beneath the NBA’s first apron because his two-year veteran minimum contract counts roughly $3.9 million against the salary cap. The 76ers are hard-capped after using more than $6.1 million of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Dean Wade earlier this offseason.
Marks outlined two primary ways to create that flexibility.
The first would be waiving one of the club’s non-guaranteed contracts, either Jabari Walker or Dalen Terry.
The second would involve a minor trade.
However, Marks noted an important distinction.
If Philadelphia goes the trade route — such as dealing a young player like Johni Broome in the hypothetical scenario he outlined — the 76ers would create a roster opening but would not be able to sign another player until the early part of the regular season.
That wrinkle could complicate Caldwell-Pope’s expected arrival.
Instead, waiving both Walker and Terry would appear to provide Philadelphia with the cleanest and quickest path to signing both James and Caldwell-Pope before training camp, avoiding the waiting period tied to the specific trade scenario Marks described.
A Familiar Championship Piece for LeBron
Getty Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looking to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers after a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies.
If the 76ers can complete the necessary roster moves, Caldwell-Pope would reunite with James six years after helping the Lakers capture the 2020 NBA championship.
Although the veteran guard is coming off a down offensive season, he remains one of the league’s most respected perimeter defenders.
Before undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger and missing Memphis’ final 29 regular-season games, Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 51 appearances. His 31.6% mark from 3-point range was well below his career standards, but his championship experience and defensive versatility continue to make him an attractive rotation piece for contenders.
Philadelphia has already reshaped its roster around James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of a championship.
Now the front office appears to have another decision to make.
If the goal is reuniting James with one of his most trusted championship teammates before opening night, waiving two non-guaranteed players may prove to be the quickest path. Choosing the trade route, meanwhile, could delay Caldwell-Pope’s debut until the early portion of the regular season, adding another layer of intrigue to the 76ers’ roster puzzle.
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