Despite a difficult season cut short by injury, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is choosing to stick with Memphis for another year.
According to a Friday ESPN report, the two-time NBA champion will exercise his $21.6 million player option, keeping him with the Grizzlies heading into next season.
The 33-year-old had a rough go of it last season, sitting out 31 games total — including the final 29 after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger in February. Before being shut down, he was putting up averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Caldwell-Pope came to Memphis last offseason as part of the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando. Prior to that, he had signed a three-year, $66 million contract before the 2024-25 season and played one year with the Magic.
Originally drafted eighth overall by Detroit in 2013 out of Georgia, Caldwell-Pope has suited up for six different teams across his 13 NBA seasons. He spent four years with the Pistons before heading to the Los Angeles Lakers for another four seasons, where he captured his first championship ring during the 2019-20 campaign. A one-year stop in Washington with the Wizards followed, and then he won his second title in 2023 during a two-season run with the Denver Nuggets before joining Orlando.
Known as a reliable three-point shooter throughout his career — hitting 36.5% from beyond the arc overall — Caldwell-Pope has seen his long-range accuracy slip in recent years. After shooting 40.6% from three in his second season with Denver, that number dropped to 34.2% in 2024-25 and fell further to 31.6% last season. For his career, he has averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
