Bench spots in Philadelphia just became much more appealing.
Ex-LeBron James teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a buyout with the Grizzlies with the plan to sign with the 76ers and reunite with the future Hall of Famer, according to Chris Haynes.
The 33-year-old previously exercised his $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season in June.
Caldwell-Pope and LeBron spent three seasons together with the Lakes from 2018-21, helping deliver the franchise’s last championship in 2020.
They also have shared the same representation in Klutch Sports.
Caldwell-Pope added another championship to his resume in 2023 with the Nuggets, but would be slated for a backup role with the 76ers.
Philadelphia would hope that the veteran could provide strong shooting and defense in a reserve role, although he’s coming off a down year from beyond the arc.
Caldwell-Pope made just 31.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, a notable dip from his 40.3 percent five-year average spanning the 2019-20 season to 2023-24 campaign.
A change of scenery could perhaps help after Caldwell-Pope played for a poor Grizzlies team, and he averaged 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game spanning 21.3 minutes last season.
Memphis acquired Caldwell-Pope last year in the blockbuster that sent Desmond Bane to the Magic, with the former lasting just one season with Orlando after signing a three-year, $66 million deal in 2024.
The idea of veterans joining James-led teams is not a new concept, with veterans on the downside of their career often joining contenders in hope of winning another ring.
Philadelphia has an incredible starting five featuring James, former MVP Joel Embiid, star guard Tyrese Maxey, ex-Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and emerging second-year guard VJ Edgecombe, but recent NBA history has shown that teams need deep benches to make sustained postseason runs.
Caldwell-Pope is set to join a 76ers reserve unit that potentially features Anfernee Simmons, first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr., Dean Wade and ex-Knick Ariel Hukporti.
