Kentavious Caldwell-Pope expected to reunite with LeBron James

Photo: Peter Baba

The Philadelphia 76ers could soon strengthen their bench with another familiar face for LeBron James.

According to Chris Haynes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign with Philadelphia, reuniting with his former Lakers teammate.

The 33-year-old exercised his $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season in June before discussions about a buyout began.

James and Caldwell-Pope spent three seasons together in Los Angeles from 2018 to 2021, helping the Lakers capture the 2020 NBA championship.

The two are also represented by Klutch Sports.

Caldwell-Pope later won another title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, but he is expected to take on a reserve role in Philadelphia.

The veteran would give the 76ers another experienced defender and perimeter shooter, although he is coming off one of the least efficient three-point shooting seasons of his career.

He made 31.6 percent of his attempts from deep last season after shooting 40.3 percent over the previous five campaigns.

Memphis acquired Caldwell-Pope in the blockbuster trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando, but his stay with the Grizzlies appears set to last just one season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *