Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reaches deal with Lakers
A bit of kismet got the Lakers exactly what they were looking for in this year’s free agency.
Late Tuesday night, they agreed to a one-year deal worth $18 million with shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to several people who were not authorized to speak publicly. Caldwell-Pope excited the Lakers because of his strong defense and shooting.
Caldwell-Pope began free agency as a restricted free agent, but the Detroit Pistons renounced his rights on Thursday, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Because of the timing — free agency was already into a sixth day — few teams had the salary-cap space to sign Caldwell-Pope to a lucrative multiyear deal. The Lakers had committed themselves to offering only one-year deals this year, but to compensate they were offering the remainder or most of their salary-cap space for those deals.
The deal allows Pope to reenter the market next season to secure the kind of high-end, multiyear deal he could have received had he become a free agent earlier.
Caldwell-Pope met with the Lakers on Tuesday, as did point guard Rajon Rondo, who is still part of the Lakers’ conversation. Rondo would offer a veteran presence to a roster that is filled mostly with players under the age of 25. Rondo garnered praised for the way he worked with the young players on the Chicago Bulls last season.
The deal with Caldwell-Pope will bring the Lakers right up to the salary cap, and that will give them a $4.3-million salary-cap exception that they can use to sign another player. They could sign a backup point guard and are considering Rondo and Tyler Ennis, 22, who was traded to the Lakers last season.
Caldwell-Pope, 24, will miss the first two games of the 2017-18 season to serve a suspension for pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Pistons, who drafted him eighth overall in 2013. He is also represented by Rich Paul, who is also the agent to Cleveland star LeBron James.
James is part of the reason the Lakers were unwilling to offer deals longer than one year. The Lakers expect to have the salary-cap space next summer to sign two players to maximum contracts. Next year’s list of free agents is expected to include James, Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook and Thunder forward Paul George.
George, a Palmdale native, has interest in joining the Lakers. He was traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City on the eve of free agency.
Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli
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