We’re less than a month into the NBA season so major trades are going to be hard to come by. But if the Los Angeles Lakers want to make a move in about a month, they might already have a partner.
According to Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer, the Philadelphia 76ers are keeping tabs on Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Following transcribed by Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll:
“(The Sixers’) depth is depleted. They need to add shooting, I had in my article on Saturday that they still retain interest in Cavs wing Kyle Korver, I’ve since heard that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the Lakers is a guy that they could have eyes for, but even then, Korver is obviously one of the greatest shooters ever, KCP is an inconsistent shooter. I’m not sure how much he would solve their issues, but the point is that they need to find shooting.”
So here’s everything to note about this:
KCP cannot be traded until December 15th because he received a new contract this summer. So the Sixers can continue to monitor his play and his placement within the Lakers’ rotation but nothing can happen for another month. Through a CBA provision, KCP also has a no-trade clause, allowing him to veto any trade the Lakers agree to.
Assuming the Sixers don’t want to trade Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick, the only singular player they could trade back to the Lakers to match contracts would be Wilson Chandler. Otherwise, a combination of players could come back to LA.
The mechanics of a trade might not make much sense. The Lakers might want to take a flyer on Markelle Fultz but the Sixers probably wouldn’t give up last year’s number one overall pick for Caldwell-Pope and they shouldn’t.
KCP hasn’t been a perfect player by any means but he has steadily improved, hitting 37.5 percent of his 3-pointers in the Lakers’ last three games. The biggest roster deficit the Lakers have right now (outside of a second star) is 3-and-D wings and while KCP is not the best, he fills that hole fairly admirably.
A lot can change in a month but by virtue of his contract, Caldwell-Pope is going to have his name in rumors up until the trade deadline.
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