The Philadelphia 76ers plan to bring in veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the coming days.
The rich get richer.
That's the mentality the Philadelphia 76ers are working with this offseason.
After the additions of Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Dean Wade, and others, the Sixers reportedly intend to sign a two-time NBA champion guard. Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Memphis Grizzlies are in the midst of negotiating a contract buyout that will allow him to sign with Philadelphia.
In order for Pope to sign with the 76ers, the organization will need to cut ties with two players, which means likely waiving Dalen Terry and Jabari Walker, per PhillyVoice's Adam Aaronson. Terry and especially Walker are respectable contributors but simply cannot offer the same talent and resume as Pope.
Pope is a solid addition to likely round out the roster with, as he is experienced, reliable, a strong three-point shooter, and a high-level defender.
He is entering year 14 in the NBA, having spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, and Grizzlies. This proves Pope is more than accustomed to adjusting to different systems and schemes, so fitting in with the Sixers should not be an issue.
The 33-year-old appeared in 51 games last season, which is the least of his entire career. Typically, Pope plays in at least 70 or more games in the regular season, so the 76ers should have no issues relying on him on a nightly basis.
As for his statistics, Pope averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds on 41.0% shooting and 31.6% shooting from three-point range for the Grizzlies. The 2025-2026 campaign was a bit of a down year for him, but he is not far removed from shooting over 40% from the arc.
Defense is what the 76ers' second unit was missing, and Pope fills that void. The secondary backcourt of Labaron Philon Jr. and Anfernee Simons was offensive-minded, to say the least. Adding Pope to the mix will allow coach Nick Nurse to rotate between the three guards depending on who is on the floor for the opponent.
Having familiarity playing alongside James is, of course, a positive as well.
If the 76ers are finally done making moves this summer, it's safe to say they ended with a strong addition.
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