Sixers viewed as a 'serious danger' to snatch core Nuggets role player

Finding the right role players is essential to constructing a championship-level team. The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to improve their supporting cast this summer, and according to an anonymous Eastern Conference GM who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy on Sports, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Denver Nuggets could emerge as a legitimate target.

“The Sixers are going after a big name, like a Paul George or a Jimmy Butler if he comes available,” The GM said. “But they’re going to put almost just as much attention on adding a role player, too...There are a few guys on the market who will be interesting as shooters—Klay Thompson, Gary Trent, Bruce Brown—but you are not going to get a better two-way guy than KCP. That’s the guy you want with Jo and Tyrese Maxey. So, if I’m the Nuggets, the Sixers are the serious danger here.”

Caldwell-Pope is a two-time NBA champion. He is an elite three-and-D wing who can fill multiple roles within a rotation. At 31 years old, he is still in his prime and could be a swing factor for any potential contender. This season, he played 76 games for Denver, averaging 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range.

According to the Denver Post, Caldwell-Pope is expected to decline his player option for next season, which would allow him to enter unrestricted free agency. 

"The biggest story of the offseason is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s $15.4 million player option, which he’s expected to decline," Bennett Durando reported. "If Caldwell-Pope is offered a long-term deal by a team with substantial cap space such as Philadelphia or Orlando — two teams that will show interest, according to a league source — will it make sense for Denver to meet the offer?"

Denver will own Caldwell-Pope's bird rights, which should give it an advantage when negotiating a potential new contract. However, the Sixers are a cap space team and could face an easier path to the NBA Finals due to how deep the Western Conference is. Furthermore, Caldwell-Pope could be enticed by the chance to play alongside Joel Embiid.

For the second straight season, the Nuggets could lose a core rotation player. Caldwell-Pope's championship experience is invaluable. Losing him would be a big blow to the team's chances of contending for another championship next season.