After acquiring former Washington Wizards shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a trade prior to free agency, the Denver Nuggets appear to be doubling down.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Nuggets have agreed to a two-year extension.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed on a two-year, $30M extension with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 14, 2022
The deal includes a player option during the 2024-25 season, according to Woj.
Caldwell-Pope, 29, is one of the better 3&D wings in the NBA today. Averaging 39.0% from three-point range and 1.1 steals per game during the 2021-22 season, KCP fills the niche role that so many playoff teams are always looking to acquire. In 2019-20, KCP served an important role next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the title winning Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets are hoping Caldwell-Pope can fill a similar role next to Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. for multiple seasons. After locking in Aaron Gordon last offseason, the Nuggets have now locked in Caldwell-Pope, who they specifically acquired to complete their starting five. Arguably the best starting unit in the NBA, the Nuggets will need both Caldwell-Pope and Gordon to anchor most defensive units.
With Bruce Brown signed and also likely to be a major part of things, the Nuggets, for the first time in a long time, seem to have a significant championship window. Jokić is still in the prime years of his career, and with Murray and Porter inching closer and closer to full health, this may be the best opportunity to win a title in franchise history. The Nuggets are paying into the luxury tax to make it happen, too.
Nothing is ever guaranteed, but next season promises to be an eventful one with sky high expectations for the Nuggets. Caldwell-Pope will be a major part of that, and it will be interesting to see just how impactful he will be.
