The Sixers have made it official with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran wing to a contract.
It was first reported nearly two weeks ago that Caldwell-Pope was being bought out by Memphis and would sign with Philadelphia after clearing waivers. The 33-year-old gave up $3,876,529 in his buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, which is the exact amount he’ll earn on his new one-year, minimum-salary deal with the 76ers. The team will carry a cap hit of $2,449,421.
A two-time NBA champion with the Lakers and Nuggets, Caldwell-Pope established himself as a reliable three-and-D option during his prime years, averaging 10.7 points per game and making 40.3% of his three-point attempts in 365 regular season outings during a five-season stretch from 2019-24.
That run earned Caldwell-Pope a three-year, $66MM deal from the Magic as a free agent in 2024, but he struggled during his lone season in Orlando before being traded to Memphis as part of the Desmond Bane blockbuster during the 2025 offseason. The 13-year veteran had another down year with the Grizzlies and was no longer considered part of the rebuilding club’s plans going forward, so Memphis was happy to negotiate a buyout that helped alleviate its roster crunch.
The Sixers are optimistic about Caldwell-Pope’s ability to bounce back in 2026/27 as a role player on a star-studded squad that includes fellow Rich Paul clients LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Justin Edwards, and Jabari Walker in addition to former MVP Joel Embiid, All-NBA second-teamer Jaylen Brown, and Rookie of the Year finalist VJ Edgecombe.
In order to fit Caldwell-Pope’s minimum-salary contract below their second-apron hard cap, the 76ers traded Johni Broome to the Clippers last week along with a second-round pick. Philadelphia now has roughly $1.8MM in breathing room below that hard cap, with 14 players on standard contracts.
While the Sixers can’t add a 15th man on a veteran’s minimum deal until December based on their current cap situation, it’s worth noting that Walker’s salary is only partially guaranteed for $250K. It sounds like the club would prefer to hang onto the veteran forward, but if an opportunity arises to add another coveted minimum-salary target, waiving Walker would create enough room below the first apron to make it happen.
