What would a KCP extension look like for the Denver Nuggets?
Last offseason, the Denver Nuggets shipped out backup point guard Monte Morris as well as their starting shooting guard, Will Barton. This trade was difficult to make, as Morris had proven himself as one of the league’s best backups, and Barton was in Denver for eight seasons before being dealt to the Washington Wizards.
Who did they get in return? One of the league’s premier 3-and-D wings, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He was never a flashy player, and even though he was selected 8th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, considering the lack of depth in that draft class, he was one of the best players out of that year.
The KCP addition really pushed the Denver Nuggets over the top, and they won the 2023 NBA Championship. KCP has had plenty of playoff experience prior to his first year in Denver. He won the 2020 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble. He fit really well with the team and was exactly what the Nuggets needed to be successful.
His 3-point shooting was one of the NBA’s best, as he shot 42.3 percent from distance last season, which just so happens to be a career shooting mark. His 1.5 steals per night really exemplified how great of a defender he really is, as both he and Aaron Gordon were tasked to defend the opposition’s best perimeter players a lot.
Speaking of Caldwell-Pope’s 3-point shooting, he was not too pleased that he was not invited to the 3-point contest during the All-Star break. Having a teammate like Nikola Jokić really helped, as he was an amazing player off the catch-and-shoot because of Jokić’s playmaking.
Looking at KCP’s contract, he has a player option for next season that is worth $15.4 million. Given his talent, he definitely deserves more than that. Also, considering his age, he might want to get financial security and try to aim for a long-term deal. Caldwell-Pope will turn 31 in February, and it is hard to say how much longer he’ll play in the NBA. Because of this, he has a good chance to decline that player option.
It would not be surprising to see him accepting the player option and negotiating a contract extension, though. $15.4 million is a good amount of money, and he definitely deserves every penny of that contract. But considering the market next offseason, it could make sense for him to try and hit the free agency market to see how much money he is worth. A lot of teams have projected cap space next offseason, so it would not be surprising to see KCP leave Denver if he gets a large contract offer.
The 2024 free agency class is not the best in the world. Sure, there are players like LeBron James and James Harden, but the class does not have the biggest names out there. A good amount of players could get their contracts extended before the season if they wanted to, which could decrease the free agency pool.
For the sake of the article, let’s assume Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was 100% on board for staying with the Denver Nuggets. He would decline his player option and negotiate for a multi-year deal from Denver. What would that really look like?
For one, given his age, the Nuggets might not want to hand out a four or five year contract. KCP would probably like as much financial security as possible, considering that we do not know when he will regress in terms of his basketball skills.
Another thing to mention is that his player option will likely be declined, and that is because he is worth more money. However, it’s not 100% certain he’ll decline the option. He may be worth more than the player option, but it is not much more. That said, here is what a good contract extension would look like for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The Denver Nuggets re-sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a 3-year, $54 million deal with a team option on the last year
$54 million is a solid amount for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This would keep him playing for the Denver Nuggets for at minimum his age 33 season, if they decline the team option they hypothetically gave him.
$18 million per season is a solid amount, and it’s right around his value. If KCP does not regress, then the Denver Nuggets could accept the team option and maybe even get another deal done, but that’s way down in the future.
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Whether Kentavious Caldwell-Pope does re-sign with the Denver Nuggets, they still will have him for one more season at the minimum. With him, as well as the rest of the starting lineup, there is a good chance they can repeat as NBA Champions next season.