Tea Philadelphia 76ers are expected to sign two-time NBA Champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a meeting with LeBron James.
Caldwell-Pope had a tough 2025-26 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but has been officially waived and expected to sign with the 76ers once the team opens up the room to complete his signing.
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Caldwell-Pope reunites with James, winning the 2020 NBA Championship together on the Lakers. Naturally, Pope is excited to be back playing for a contending team after a few rough seasons.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was dancing after teaming up with LeBron James
Pope was playing golf with his friends on a course when Shams Charania confirmed that the 33-year-old swingman will be joining the 76ers to join the superstar-led squad with James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid.
Pope will hope to prove he still has a lot to offer, taking a veteran’s minimum to join the 76ers as a three-and-D specialist off the bench.
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The 76ers’ rotation will likely have Pope deputize behind VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, with the potential of him starting if either of the two is sidelined.
His simplified 3-and-D role on a team with title expectations should lead to strong production, and even if it doesn’t, it was a low-risk signing for the 76ers, who have his championship pedigree in their locker room.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is hoping to bounce back after two tough seasons
Pope averaged 8.4 points on 31.6% from three last season, struggling on a tanking Grizzlies squad.
Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images
He joined the team after the Orlando Magic traded him as part of the Desmond Bane trade, with Pope averaging 8.7 points on 34.2% from three with the Magic in 2024-25.
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Pope has clearly had a few rough seasons, but he won a championship in 2023, the last time he had a high-level passer leading the offense.
Pope averaged 10.8 points on 42.4% shooting from three with Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, enjoying the same success with the 2020 Lakers when James played point guard and led the league in assists.
He averaged 9.3 points on 38.5% shooting from three in the Lakers’ 2020 championship-winning campaign.
His familiarity with high-pressure situations with championship expectations might suit him better in Philadelphia than it did in the rebuilding/tanking spots he’s spent the last few seasons in.
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