The media slammed the Denver Nuggets for letting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in 2024 free agency to sign a three-year, $66 million deal with the Magic. KCP's departure weakened Denver while strengthening Orlando, a team poised to make noise in the East. At least, that's what most people thought. Reality told a different story.
Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.7 points in his first (and lone) season in Orlando, shooting 43.9% from the field and 34.2% from three, the lowest for him since he shot 30.9% from deep during the 2015-16 season in Detroit.
Less than a year after everyone praised the Magic for bringing in a championship wing, Orlando traded him to Memphis as part of the Desmond Bane deal. Who would've thought the Magic would trade KCP because they needed shooting? That says a lot.
Caldwell-Pope was granted a fresh start with the Grizzlies after a disastrous 2024-25 season, but through 12 games, he's shooting even worse than he did in Orlando. He's averaging 8.8 points per game on 36.2% shooting from the field and 31.8% from three.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's struggles are continuing in Memphis
He went from being one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league to falling out of that conversation entirely.
From Memphis' perspective, Caldwell-Pope is a good veteran to have in the locker room, and he is averaging a career-high 3.1 assists per game. As important as his leadership and playmaking can be, his value has dropped off significantly. The Magic needed more from him, and so do the Grizzlies, who are 4-8 on the season, 11th in the West.
Denver fans shouldn't be celebrating KCP's decline, especially not after he helped the Nuggets win their first-ever title, but watching him walk away turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Given how the past year has gone, it probably would've been in Caldwell-Pope's best interest to stay in Denver, but that's a decision he can't go back and undo.
Maybe things will start to take a turn for KCP in Memphis, but that's what everyone said last season when he was in Orlando. It would be nice to see him make a comeback, but the truth is that he may no longer be the player he once was.
Things were all doom and gloom the summer before last when Caldwell-Pope left Denver, but no, that wasn't the beginning of the end for the Nuggets. It might've been for KCP, though.