Yahoo Finance NBA free agency: Lakers bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on 3-year, $40 million deal
The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing back a significant piece of their championship team.
Free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal to return to the Lakers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a three-year, $40M deal with the Lakers, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 22, 2020
Per Charania, the deal is structured to give Caldwell-Pope a $15 million average salary over the next two seasons and at least $68 million over five years with the Lakers between this contract and his last three seasons with the team.
The deal is a reward for a player who more than stepped up during the Lakers’ championship run.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up big for Lakers
Caldwell-Pope was one of many Lakers role players to come up big during the playoffs, especially at the 3-point line where Caldwell-Pope shot 42.1 percent from deep in the team’s first three playoff series.
Once in the NBA Finals, Caldwell-Pope, who started every playoff game for the Lakers, continued to make big shots and was soon hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
There was some question of whether the Lakers would be able to find the money needed to bring back Caldwell-Pope, who reportedly had interest from several teams. Apparently, the two sides figured it out, to the delight of Caldwell-Pope’s teammate (and agencymate) LeBron James.
YESSIR @CaldwellPope!!!! Congrats my brother
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 22, 2020
Caldwell-Pope first joined the Lakers via free agency back in 2017 after four seasons with the Detroit Pistons, and has re-signed with the team twice since.
Bringing back Caldwell-Pope is the latest chapter of what has been an encouraging offseason for the Lakers. The team has also acquired reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and veteran Wes Matthews in free agency, the former from their crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers. Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Dennis Schroder was also acquired via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Among the players the Lakers have parted with are Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley and Quinn Cook.
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