Feb 21, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (21) drives against Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) during the third quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

New Memphis Grizzlies Guard, Ex-Lakers Champion, Predicted to Have Breakout Year

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 10:26 AM ET

While the 2025 NBA offseason has not met many fans' expectations, as there was hope of it being historically exciting, there have still been some significant moves across the league.

The Memphis Grizzlies made the first big move of the offseason back in mid-June, when they traded star guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap.

Many people were on the fence after this trade, as on one side, the Magic just added a much-needed offensive star who still fits their defensive culture, and on the other side, they gave up a lot of draft capital to acquire him.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UcQnmHbgZb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025

How this impacts the Grizzlies

Of course, trading away their star guard is expected to take a toll on the Grizzlies, but there is a chance it works out great for them. The Grizzlies still have their star duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and while they bought out Anthony after the trade, Caldwell-Pope is expected to be a surprisingly significant addition for the team.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes predicts that Caldwell-Pope will be the Grizzlies' biggest "riser" for the 2025-26 season.

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"Yes, he's entering his age-32 campaign and is in the midst of a year-over-year scoring decline that has lasted four seasons. KCP still can't be nearly as bad as he was for the Orlando Magic a year ago," Hughes wrote. "...Memphis has better spacing, more dynamic playmaking and should position KCP well for a bounce-back year."

Caldwell-Pope is a two-time NBA champion, winning one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and another with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. In both of those championship runs, Caldwell-Pope played significant roles.

In his 2020 championship run with the Lakers, Caldwell-Pope averaged 10.7 points while shooting 37.8% from beyond the arc in the playoffs, being the exact player that the Lakers needed him to be.

HIGHLIGHTS: @CaldwellPope comes up huge with 15 pts and 5 ast in the #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/yIgfXThMRa
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 7, 2020

While the Grizzlies losing their second-leading scorer in Bane could hurt, it gives them a chance to lean on Morant and Jackson Jr. with a plethora of role players around them. Caldwell-Pope should be an efficient three-point shooter who can play some defense for the Grizzlies next season, and the great part is that they do not need any more from him.

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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