Lakers News: L.A. Met With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are starting to pick up some steam in free agency after a slow start. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have stuck to offering only one-year contracts to preserve cap space for the summer of 2018, but they have still chased after talents like George Hill and Dion Waiters only to watch them accept multi-year offers elsewhere. Today, they reportedly met with Detroit Pistons free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope about joining the team.

Caldwell-Pope was initially a restricted free agent, which meant that the Pistons would have had the ability to match any offer that he received and retain his services. However, the Pistons and Caldwell-Pope were unable to agree on a long-term deal, and when Detroit completed a trade with the Boston Celtics to land defensive ace Avery Bradley, they decided to cut ties with Caldwell-Pope and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Lakers, and Caldwell-Pope sat down to discuss him coming to Los Angeles:

On paper, Caldwell-Pope would be an ideal fit for the Lakers. He’s an excellent perimeter defender, and after finishing as the worst defensive team in the league last season, Los Angeles needs all the help they can get in that area. Caldwell-Pope is also a solid three-point shooter, hitting 35 percent last season.

On a team built around rookie guard Lonzo Ball, floor spacing will be imperative, and Caldwell-Pope would be a positive in that area. It’s unclear whether or not he will consider accepting a one-year deal after turning down a lucrative four-year contract with the Pistons, but if Johnson and Pelinka can pull this off, he will be a major addition for the Lakers.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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