Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has found a new home. KCP will spend the next three seasons in Orlando after agreeing to a three-year, $66 million deal with the Magic, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
This is a massive move for the Magic, coming off its best season in nearly a decade and a half. Last season, the Magic were one of the youngest teams in the league. Caldwell-Pope is expected to provide leadership, defense, and 3-point shooting.
Caldwell-Pope, who declined a $15.4 million option to test free agency, will make $20.9 million this upcoming season. The 31-year-old is slated to make $22 million in 2025-36 and $23.04 million in 2027-28, though Charania said that season is a player option.
Up-and-Coming Team Inks Two-Time NBA Champion
Caldwell-Pope is a two-time NBA champion who played a significant role both times. He started all 41 playoff contests in the two campaigns in KCP and won a title in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers and in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets.
This past season, Caldwell-Pope averaged 10.1 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 76 games. Caldwell-Pope also knocked down 1.6 treys with shooting splits of 46.0/40.6/89.4%. It marked the third straight year and eighth time in his career that he has finished a season averaging double-figures. He has also shot at least 38.5% from deep in the past five seasons and makes 1.7 treys a game at a career clip of 36.9%.
However, Caldwell-Pope did struggle during the postseason as the Nuggets saw the defense of their 2022 NBA title come to a premature end. Denver fell to Minnesota in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.
Orlando Magic
Orlando was one of the biggest surprises in the Eastern Conference, as the Magic reached the playoffs arguably a year earlier than expected. The Magic won 47 contests and captured the Southeast division for the first time since 2018-19. It was the Magic’s most victories since 2010-11, when they won 52 contests.
While Orlando ended its three-year playoff drought, the Magic fell in the first round, though they took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink before doing so. The Magic, one of the five youngest teams in the league, was 22nd in offensive rating and second in defensive ranking. They were 15th in shooting percentage, last in 3-pointers made (11.0), 29th in 3-point attempts, and 24th in 3-point percentage (35.2%).
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 2.0 triples a game. While eight players averaged at least one 3-pointer a game, Suggs (39.7%), Wendell Carter Jr. (37.4%), Caleb Houston (37.3%), Joe Ingles (43.5%), and Gary Harris (37.1%) were the only players of the eight to connect down at least 35% of their attempts. Harris and Ingles are free agents.
After the signing of KCP, Orlando had 11 players under contract, including unsigned first-round selection Tristan Da Silva. The Magic are still around $30 million under the salary cap.
