One of the biggest transaction decisions from the past offseason across the entire NBA was the Denver Nuggets’ choice to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency. Denver acquired KCP via trade ahead of the 2022-23 season and he instantly became a difference-maker in the team’s starting lineup.
Caldwell-Pope was a rock for the Nuggets, missing just six games in each of his two seasons and starting in the other 152 regular season games plus every playoff game. That included a run to the championship in 2023 when KCP played an integral role as a lockdown perimeter defender and clutch three-point shooter.
But the Nuggets were unable to sign Caldwell-Pope to an extension before last season ended and he hit unrestricted free agency. He was offered a three-year, $66 million deal by the Orlando Magic and the Nuggets decided that was too rich for their blood.
KCP signed with the Magic and the Nuggets chose to move on, maintaining financial flexibility and empowering their young, recently drafted players. This felt like a bit of a rocky transition at first and the team struggled out of the gates, but as we take stock of things at the break, it’s more evident with each passing day that the Nuggets made the right decision.
Christian Braun thriving while Caldwell-Pope struggles
The biggest part of the transition for Denver has been adding third-year player Christian Braun into the starting lineup to play KCP’s old role. Braun has thrived from day one and has only gotten better as the season goes on. For the year, he’s up to 15 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
He’s one of the better defenders on the team and while he may not be prime KCP on that end, he makes up for it in other ways and he’s often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player. Braun has also excelled as one of the league’s best transition scorers and has helped provide a spark and bring new energy to this group.
Caldwell-Pope on the other hand, has struggled mightily to find his offense in Orlando. He has never been a guy to light up the box score, but he was always a knockdown shooter who could impact the game. This season for the Magic, he has started 53 games, but he’s averaging just 8.7 points per game and shooting just 41% from the floor and 31% from three.
He’s getting up 4.6 attempts a night from long range, his highest number since he played for the Wizards, yet his shot has abandoned him. It’s been a killer for the Magic, a team that struggles massively to score and make shots. They desperately need KCP’s shooting and it has been nowhere to be found.
Factoring in ages and contracts, the decision to let Caldwell-Pope exit appears to be a decisive win for the Nuggets. Braun is the better player already and perhaps, some of KCP’s performances in recent years have been propped up by playing with LeBron James and Nikola Jokic more than we realized.
Either way, Braun has been one of the brightest spots on a Nuggets team that is suddenly playing amazing basketball and looking like a true contender. It’s a big win for a Denver front office that badly needed one.