Veteran swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to be among the Lakers turning down a player option for the 2020/21 season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Earlier reports indicated that Rajon Rondo is likely to opt out and that Anthony Davis plans to do the same.
The second-year option on Caldwell-Pope’s for next season is worth approximately $8.54MM, but there’s a perception that he has outperformed that figure and could be in line for a raise and/or a longer deal after essentially acting as the Lakers’ third option during the team’s NBA Finals victory.
Having put up relatively modest numbers (9.3 PPG on .467/.385/.775 shooting) during 69 regular season games (25.5 MPG), Caldwell-Pope made some big shots in the playoffs, knocking down 42.1% of his three-point attempts in the first three rounds and then averaging 12.8 PPG in the Finals, the third-highest scoring average on the team behind LeBron James and Davis. He also provided strong perimeter defense.
Caldwell-Pope has spent the last three seasons with the Lakers and the two sides have “significant mutual interest” in reaching a new agreement, per Charania. Los Angeles holds KCP’s Bird rights, giving the club plenty of flexibility to sign him to a new contract worth essentially any value up to the max.
The 27-year-old is expected to receive interest from a handful of external suitors, according to Charania, who identifies the Hawks as one team that could “emerge with interest.”
[RELATED: NBA Player Option Decisions For 2020/21]
Besides Caldwell-Pope, Rondo, and Davis, the Lakers with player options for 2020/21 include Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee. They’re also candidates to opt out, though their intentions remain unclear for now.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lakers can pay Rondo 5.7 million
Then Howard and Morris have to take Vets Min
If Morris and Howard want more money ……
Lakers team salary $112M
Add KCP 13M (compared to Beverley salary)
Add 6M (both Howard and Morris vets min)
Cap Hold 1M
Total $132 reach tax
I know Morris wants money, I don’t know about Howard.
Edit
Add Rondo 6M
Lakers team salary $138M – pay tax
Wouldn’t spend that much on them to be honest. Rondo isn’t worth that much and neither is Howard. Kcp played well that he was due for a raise.
First order of business is getting rid of Danny green and javale. That frees up 21 million
The big unknown is where the salary cap will be.. teams that don’t have big tc contracts are losing money so it’s not a certainty that they spend.. lakers make 200 million per year of time Warner deal and 100 million on league tv contract. So they are at 300 million without a single fan entering staples.. they have the money..
The thing with championship bench players is that stars can make these guys look good. Who was kcp before LeBron arrived? Kind of just a guy who was a decent shooter and pretty good Defender. Now suddenly because he hit some open shots he’s going to get a big contract? I don’t think so… he’s still kcp. But some GM will plug him in as the starting two guard and expectations will be high.
We all know kcp when expectations are high on him..Laker nation practically wanted him out of town
KCP is going to be the Nix big “get” this off-season
Negative offensive box plus/minus every year of his career and a PER of 11 this past season? It sounds like someone will regret signing KCP to a contract based solely on his postseason production
Lakers won’t even be able to return their existing team. Take some R&R Lebron you did it already, get ready for MSG
Never thought much of his game, but he’s been effective in his role with the Lakers with fewer minutes, in particular this past year. Based on age, ring, best % season, team with Bird Rights– time to cash in, if only by finally getting a multi-year deal.