Getty Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The offseason is already heating up for the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve already pulled off a big trade and it appears that a few starters are planning to opt out of their contracts. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is going to hit free agency.
Lakers starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will decline his 2020-21 player option and enter free agency, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. He’s expected to have several suitors at start of free agency — and teams are under impression he’s open to offers.
The news that he’s opting out isn’t too much of a surprise. He’s coming off of a really strong performance in the NBA Finals and deserves a nice raise. However, the Lakers should be concerned that he’s “open to offers.” With Danny Green being part of the Dennis Schroder trade and Avery Bradley opting out, the team would most likely prefer to keep Caldwell-Pope from leaving.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, there are teams that have a lot more money to spend. Now that he’s got a championship under his belt, Caldwell-Pope could be looking to get paid.
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Suns Among Interested Teams
Caldwell-Pope isn’t an All-Star-type player but he’s capable of putting up double-digit points every night. He also proved that he can step up his game in clutch situations. One team to keep an eye on is the Phoenix Suns, according to LegionHoops.
The Phoenix Suns are expected to show interest in NBA Champion and soon to be free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, per league source.
The team hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade but they showed signs of life in the NBA bubble last year. Devin Booker helped lead the team to an undefeated record in the seeding games. They have a lot of young talent and are an up-and-coming team. Adding a veteran with championship experience like Caldwell-Pope to the mix could be the secret sauce that helps get them over the hump.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Atlanta Hawks. They’re expected to be active this offseason and Caldwell-Pope is from Georgia. He could decide it’s time to go back home. They haven’t made the playoffs in the last three seasons but do have an exciting young piece in Trae Young. Caldwell-Pope probably doesn’t elevate them to a playoff team but if they can add some more talent, they could be a solid team in the East.
The Lakers do have a bit of an advantage in the Caldwell-Pope sweepstakes. He’s a Klutch Sports client and the team has two of their biggest stars in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Other Lakers Who Could Walk
Rajon Rondo appears to be the most likely Laker who will leave the team. Los Angeles is already expecting him to walk, which was a reason why they traded for Schroder. Schroder is just entering his prime while Rondo is getting up there in age so it’s an upgrade for the Lakers.
Bradley is opting out and that might mean that his time in Los Angeles is over. The fact that he didn’t come to the bubble and play role in the championship run will probably hurt his value on the market. Other than the previously talked about guys, the Lakers shouldn’t be worried about losing any other key pieces.
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Top Lakers Free Agent ‘Open’ to Offers From Other Teams: Report