The Los Angeles Lakers will seek veteran additions to their roster to support a continued push for contention and aid their pursuits for other championship-caliber stars.
One interesting option is reuniting with a familiar face, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, a return to Los Angeles could be on the cards.
In a proposed trade, the Lakers would acquire Caldwell-Pope and two second-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber.
Since Vincent has been traded by the Lakers, Jarred Vanderbilt will be substituted for him in this scenario.
This trade represents a homecoming for Caldwell-Pope years on from helping the Lakers win their last NBA championship in 2020.
How the Lakers Can Get Caldwell-Pope
GettyKentavious Caldwell-Pope & LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The move for Caldwell-Pope will be purely salary-matching for the Lakers. The 33-year-old veteran is expected to exercise his $21.6 million player option for next season. He signed a three-year, $66 million deal in 2024 and has one year remaining at that salary level.
Sending out Vanderbilt and Kleber would clear the adequate space needed to add Caldwell-Pope. It helps match salaries effectively while clearing space. This kind of trade may prove effective for the Lakers instead of relying solely on free agency.
“I’ve spoken with people around the league about a deal similar to this, with the Lakers sending out expiring money for Caldwell-Pope, who has a proven past as a postseason difference-maker,” Woike wrote. “At this stage, he’s more solid than anything else, and because of the $21 million player option he has for next season, a team might grab an asset or two if it helps Memphis get off some cash.”
The Grizzlies will prioritize financial flexibility and the franchise’s injuries and inconsistent performances make shedding salary important for potential roster reshaping.
Caldwell-Pope played 51 games for Memphis this season with 14 of them starts. He took a different role from his usual starting role dating all the way back to his last season in L.A.
Caldwell-Pope is an attractive target because the Lakers will not be fully committing long-term which will preserve flexibility for other moves.
Caldwell-Pope’s Fit in L.A. Next to Luka Doncic
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic looks to drive the ball. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Caldwell-Pope is not the guard with the numbers but what he brings is a balance to the roster. He has been vital to two championship runs in the past seven seasons — first with the Lakers and then with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
The Memphis star will inject immediate championship experience into the Lakers’ roster led by Luka Doncic. In that 2020 title run, he helped deliver clutch shooting and lockdown defense on the wing.
Injury-wise, Caldwell-Pope checks some availability boxes as he has appeared in at least 70 games in the previous four seasons before this year. The Lakers will most likely deploy him as a veteran addition from the bench rather than a starter.
The Lakers may be potentially moving on from LeBron James due to his unrestricted free agency status and as such, they need added experience especially from someone who knows the Lakers culture.
Gaining experience could be vital in L.A.’s contention push and there aren’t a lot of options that will be readily affordable for the Lakers, such as Caldwell-Pope.
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