LeBron James’ Championship Ex-Teammate Set to Join 76ers Despite Salary Cap Hurdle

With the Decision made, the chain reactions immediately follow. League-wide free agency decisions that were hanging in the balance on LeBron James’ next team are finally going down. The Philadelphia 76ers have Bron and Jaylen Brown’s combined firepower, and now they may get a veteran 3-and-D guard in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Reports of KCP’s potential reunion with his Lakers teammate immediately ignited after Friday’s announcement, but there is still a logistical hurdle.

According to senior NBA insider Chris Haynes, Caldwell-Pope and the Memphis Grizzlies are currently negotiating a buyout. If that’s cleared, the 2x NBA champion intends to sign with Philadelphia.

“Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Memphis Grizzlies are negotiating a buyout and the veteran 3-&-D specialist intends to team back up with LeBron James and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell me,” Haynes directly reported on social media.

Caldwell-Pope previously won an NBA championship alongside James with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 before capturing a second ring as a starter with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

The 33-year-old vet represents a proven perimeter defender and floor-spacer, giving Philadelphia additional championship pedigree alongside Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.

While KCP’s interest in joining Philadelphia is clear, the franchise faces financial and roster constraints under the hard cap.

Brian Windhorst immediately summoned a panel of Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective after James signed with the 76ers on a veteran minimum $8 million for two years. The NBA insiders discussed the Sixers next moves and the hurdles to that.

Windhorst quickly pointed out the tight financial parameters: “So, right now they have 14 players under contract and they only have $3.3 million under their hard cap. So, they are going to have to waive a couple of players.”

Bobby Marks detailed potential roster casualties, stating, “Yeah, they’ll have to waive. They’ve got two guys. Dalen Terry’s on a non-guarantee. Jabari Walker’s on a partial $250 grand. They could try to maybe move off of Johni Broome they picked in the second round a year ago. They could do something there. They’ll figure it out.”

Windhorst then connected the cap mechanics directly to James’ contract, explaining how adding KCP, who is represented by Klutch Sports alongside LeBron, affects the team’s flexibility.

“They may come to LeBron and say, ‘LeBron, if you want us to sign another player, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for example… If you want us to sign another player, you need to sign a one-year deal.’ Is that correct?'”

Marks confirmed: “Correct.”

Despite the administrative maneuvering required, Windhorst emphasized that Philadelphia’s fully healthy lineup projects as a juggernaut. “As far as the Sixers go, you would think that their starting lineup when they’re fully healthy… is Edgecombe and Maxey at the guards, Brown and LeBron at the forwards, and Embiid at center. That is—that’s loaded… the most athletic backcourt in the NBA.”

If Philadelphia navigates its hard cap constraints to finalize the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the franchise will enter the upcoming season as a dominant championship favorite in the Eastern Conference.

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