Nuggets in ‘Serious Danger’ of Losing Key Starter to East Contender: NBA Exec

Getty Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

There are a few layers at play when it comes to what might happen with Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he makes his decision on whether to opt in to the $15.4 million second season on the $30 million contract he signed with Denver last year.

The first is his desire for a longer deal. Caldwell-Pope is 31, and wants a contract that will ensure his employment into his mid-30s—three years is the expectation, according to sources around the NBA. The second is for a bump up in pay. This is less important to him than the number of years, but Caldwell-Pope should be in the neighborhood of the deal Josh Hart got with the Knicks ($20 million per year over four years).

But the third is always a question for players deciding whether to keep a current contract or hit free agency: Is there a team out there that will give him the deal he wants? The answer is not always yes. A good example is Raptors guard Gary Trent last season, who surprised many by opting in on the final year of a contract worth $18.5 million.

Trent could have gotten a longer deal elsewhere, but he was not certain of where or whether that deal would come, so he stayed. KCP could do the same in Denver.

Nuggets Could Have to Match Offers From Sixers

The problem for the Nuggets, though, is that early indications have at least two potential suitors lined up for Caldwell-Pope. The most serious may be the Sixers, who have the cap space to add a maximum-contract player plus a key role player. And as a 3-and-D wing who has won two championships and has shot 40.6% from the 3-point line over the last four seasons, there are not many role players better than Caldwell-Pope.

The Sixers could afford to give Caldwell-Pope $20 million per year.

“The Sixers are going after a big name, like a Paul George or a Jimmy Butler if he comes available,” one Eastern Conference GM said. “But they’re going to put almost just as much attention on adding a role player, too. They’ve run through a lot of guys playing with Joel (Embiid) but they know they need a two-way guy, a guy who can create some space by shooting the 3.

“There are a few guys on the market who will be interesting as shooters—Klay Thompson, Gary Trent, Bruce Brown—but you are not going to get a better two-way guy than KCP. That’s the guy you want with Jo and Tyrese Maxey. So, if I’m the Nuggets, the Sixers are the serious danger here.”

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Likely to Have Other Suitors

And there will be other suitors. The Orlando Magic, a defensive-minded team that badly needs shooting, could be first among them. The Detroit Pistons are a terrible team desperately trying to get back into the playoff picture, and they could overpay Caldwell-Pope to get him to help turn around the team’s losing culture. KCP began his career in Detroit, when he was the No. 8 pick of the Pistons in 2013.

There is likely a team willing to give Caldwell-Pope a deal in the three-year, $60 million range. Unless the Nuggets trade away an expensive piece—like Michael Porter Jr.—it could be impossible for the Nuggets to keep KCP around without going well into the dreaded second apron of the luxury tax.

GM Calvin Booth acknowledged that this week: “We spend a lot of time looking at the second apron and all this other stuff. I think for me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, second apron. And I know the second apron is daunting, and there’s all kinds of restrictions, but I don’t think that’s first on our priority list.

“KCP’s been a great addition the last couple years. We obviously would love to have him back. We’re gonna take a hard look at what that looks like.”