Kentavious Tannell Caldwell-Pope (; born February 18, 1993) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He was named a

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger s ...

as one of the top high school basketball players in the class of 2011. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for two years with the Georgia Bulldogs in the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC), and was voted the

SEC Player of the Year Southeastern Conference Player of the Year refers to the most outstanding player for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in a given sport for a given season. For lists of individual sport SEC Players of the Year by year: *Southeastern Conference Bas ...

as a sophomore in 2013. Caldwell-Pope was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. He played four seasons with the Pistons before joining the Lakers as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2017–18. He won his first NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He spent a season with the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

after having been traded there from the Lakers in August 2021, and was then subsequently traded to the

in July 2022.

High school career

Caldwell-Pope was a highly heralded player in high school. As a senior, he averaged 31 points and 8.2 rebounds per game at Greenville High School in

Greenville, Georgia Greenville is a city and the county seat of Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 794 at the 2020 census. The city is located southwest of Atlanta and, as such, is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area (Atlanta-Sandy Sprin ...

. He led the Patriots to the State Class A Final Four in 2011 and to consecutive Sweet 16 berths in 2009–10. He was named to several prominent high school All-America teams as a senior, including being selected to play in the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game and the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...

. As a senior, he was rated the nation's No. 3 shooting guard prospect, the No. 12 prospect overall, by recruiting analysts for

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

. Caldwell-Pope chose Georgia to play for Mark Fox and Cody Anderson over scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee among others.

College career

As a freshman, Caldwell-Pope was named to the Coaches' Freshman All-SEC Team, which also included NBA lottery picks

Bradley Beal Bradley Emmanuel Beal Sr. (born June 28, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators before being selected by ...

, Anthony Davis, and

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Michael Anthony Edward Kidd-Gilchrist ( Gilchrist; born September 26, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kidd-Gilchrist was drafted second ove ...

. His highest output as a freshman was 25 points against Ole Miss, which was the most by a UGA freshman in almost 13 years. 150px, Caldwell-Pope playing for Georgia in 2012As a sophomore, Caldwell-Pope was named

after averaging 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. In his final collegiate game, he scored a career-high 32 points and 13 rebounds in a loss against

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

at the

SEC tournament The Southeastern Conference (SEC) sponsors nine men's sports and twelve women's sports. This is a list of conference champions for each sport. Also see the list of SEC national champions. Members The SEC was established on December 1932, when t ...

in Nashville. He declared for the NBA draft after the season.

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2013–2017)

On June 27, 2013, Caldwell-Pope was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the

. He later joined the Pistons for the 2013 NBA Summer League and signed his rookie scale contract with the team on July 19. On April 16, 2014, he scored a then-career-high 30 points in a loss to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. In July 2014, Caldwell-Pope rejoined the Pistons for the 2014 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 24.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games. Head coach Stan Van Gundy quickly assessed Caldwell-Pope as his best perimeter defender and he wound up leading the Pistons in minutes played with 2,587. Caldwell-Pope got better after the All-Star break, largely thanks to the acquisition of point guard

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...

; post All-Star Break, Caldwell-Pope averaged 14.3 points per game. He finished the season with 153 three-point shots made, 70 more than the closest Pistons player. He tied

Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team and ...

for 16th in the NBA. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (30851390714)

On December 16, 2015, Caldwell-Pope scored a then career-high 31 points in a 119–116 win over the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. He helped the Pistons finish the 2015–16 regular season with a 44–38 record, which was good for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons thus qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. In the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons faced the first-seeded

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, and in a Game 1 loss on April 17, Caldwell-Pope scored a team-high 21 points. The Pistons went on to lose the series 4–0. On November 9, 2016, Caldwell-Pope scored a then season-high 27 points in a 107–100 loss to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

. On November 25, 2016, he recorded 16 points and a career-high 10 assists in a 108–97 win over the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

. On January 8, 2017, he hit a three-pointer with 9.4 seconds left in double overtime to lead the Pistons to a 125–124 win over the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

; he finished with 26 points. On February 1, 2017, he scored a career-high 38 points in a 118–98 win over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. He also made a career-high eight three-pointers on 11 attempts. On February 23, 2017, Caldwell-Pope scored 33 points, including three three-pointers late in the fourth quarter during a Detroit rally, as the Pistons defeated the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

114–108 in overtime. Caldwell-Pope's three-pointer with 18.2 seconds to play tied the game at 100. On June 23, 2017, Caldwell-Pope was suspended for two games without pay by the NBA for pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. On July 7, 2017, the Pistons renounced the rights to Caldwell-Pope, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2021)

On July 13, 2017, Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. He made his debut for the Lakers on October 22, 2017, scoring 20 points as a starter in a 119–112 loss to the

. On November 27, 2017, he scored a season-high 29 points against the

. On December 13, 2017, Caldwell-Pope pleaded guilty to a probation violation he committed during the summer. He was handed a 25-day jail sentence, but under a work-release program, was allowed to leave the facility for home games and practices. He was not allowed to leave California, limiting him to only home games within the state during that period. On February 24, 2018, he scored a season-high 34 points and hit a career-high-tying eight 3-pointers in a 113–108 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On March 22, 2018, he hit eight 3-pointers and had 28 points in a 128–125 loss to the

. On July 6, 2018, Caldwell-Pope re-signed with the Lakers, on a reported one-year, $12 million contract. On December 16, 2018, he scored a season-high 25 points in a 128–110 loss to the

. On December 30, he set a new season high with 26 points in a 121–114 win over the Kings. On March 19, he had a season-high 35 points in a 115–101 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. In 2019, Caldwell-Pope re-signed with the Lakers once again, this time on a two-year contract worth roughly $16 million. In 2019–20, he made a career-high 38.5% of his 3-pointers and was third on the team with 92 made 3-pointers. Caldwell-Pope won his first NBA championship when the Lakers defeated the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

in six games in the

2020 NBA Finals The 2020 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Laker ...

. He was instrumental in the victory, especially in game 4 when his five straight points late in the fourth quarter helped the Lakers pull away from the Heat and sealed the win in that game. He started all 21 games in the playoffs, averaging 10.7 points in 29 minutes per game and making 37.8% of his 3-pointers. Caldwell-Pope declined his player option on the second year of his contract and became a free agent. On November 23, 2020, he re-signed with the Lakers on a three-year, $40 million deal.

Washington Wizards (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Caldwell-Pope was traded to the

as part of a package for

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...

. In 77 games with the team, he averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Denver Nuggets (2022–present)

On July 6, 2022, Caldwell-Pope was traded, alongside

Ish Smith Ishmael Larry Smith (born July 5, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Smith holds the record of ...

, to the

in exchange for

Monté Morris Monté Robert Morris (born June 27, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones. Early life and high school ...

and

Will Barton William Denard Barton III (born January 6, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Memphis, where he was named the Conference ...

. On July 16, 2022, Caldwell-Pope signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension with the Nuggets.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 80 , , 41 , , 19.8 , , .396 , , .319 , , .770 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .9 , , .2 , , 5.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 31.5 , , .401 , , .345 , , .696 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 76 , , 36.7 , , .420 , , .309 , , .811 , , 3.7 , , 1.8 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 75 , , 33.3 , , .399 , , .350 , , .832 , , 3.3 , , 2.5 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, 74 , , 74 , , 33.2 , , .426 , , .383 , , .789 , , 5.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 23 , , 24.8 , , .430 , , .347 , , .867 , , 2.9 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 26 , , 25.5 , , .467 , , .385 , , .775 , , 2.1 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .2 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 67 , , 28.4 , , .431 , , .410 , , .866 , , 2.7 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .4 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, 77 , , 77 , , 30.2 , , .435 , , .390 , , .890 , , 3.4 , , 1.9 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 683 , , 541 , , 29.2 , , .421 , , .360 , , .813 , , 3.1 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 11.6

Playoffs

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, 4 , , 4 , , 40.3 , , .440 , , .444 , , .714 , , 4.3 , , 2.8 , , 1.8 , , .3, , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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, style="background:#cfecec;", 21* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 21* , , 29.0 , , .418 , , .378 , , .815 , , 2.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 10.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 29.2 , , .379 , , .211 , , 1.000 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 6.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 30 , , 30 , , 30.5 , , .418 , , .370 , , .821 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 10.6

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, 32 , , 32 , , 32.1 , , .396 , , .304 , , .654 , , 5.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 33.9 , , .433 , , .373 , , .799 , , 7.1 , , 1.8 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , 18.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 64 , , 64 , , 33.0 , , .415 , , .339 , , .727 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , 15.9

Personal life

In June 2016, Caldwell-Pope married partner McKenzie Redmon.

References

External links

Georgia Bulldogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell-Pope, Kentavious 1993 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons draft picks Detroit Pistons players Georgia Bulldogs basketball players Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans People from Greenville, Georgia People from Thomaston, Georgia Shooting guards Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area Washington Wizards players