Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is getting bad advice. I mean terrible advice. KCP decided to opt-out of his $8 million player option for the 2021 season. Does anybody honestly believe KCP is getting more than that? I find that hard to imagine.
I don’t have inside info with what the Lakers told Caldwell-Pope and his representation after the season. Unless they told him they were willing to give him a raise, opting out makes zero sense. Sure KCP is a solid three-and-D wing but this is also a guy who’s gone through ROUGH stretches.
Two things would make KCP opt out.
1: Long term security.
2: Higher average annual value.
The 2021 free-agent class is loaded. You know, the one that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nobody is going to want to hand out long term contracts for a player like KCP. The idea that he’s getting a multi-year deal seems crazy.
Okay, so who has cap space? Good question because the answer is no one. With the virus, the cap doesn’t seem set yet, and things could change. However, according to Spotrac, very few teams have real cap space. Look, maybe you can convince the Knicks or Hawks to overpay, but I even find that hard to believe.
In 2020, KCP averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Shooting 38.6 percent from 3-point range is a good mark. We’re also talking about a guy who notched a 3.7 win share. When you watch the Lakers, does KCP scream, I must have this guy? That’s not the case for me.
If KCP doesn’t find a way to earn more than $8 million this offseason, he’s going to look like a fool. It will look like Rich Paul did LeBron James another favor by convincing KCP to lose money.
