Overview
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exercised his $21.6 million player option on Friday, keeping him on the Memphis roster for 2026-27 and making him an unrestricted free agent after that season.
- Salary-tracking sites reported the Grizzlies were roughly $1.2 million over the cap before the decision, so the move immediately changes Memphis’s short-term payroll calculations.
- Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 51 games for Memphis in 2025-26 and missed the end of the season for surgery to correct a misaligned right pinky.
- At 33, he brings veteran three-and-D experience and two championship rings but has seen his shooting and overall production decline, which factors into his trade value.
- The decision comes as Memphis undertakes a rebuild after a 25-57 season, a stretch that included limited availability from Ja Morant and the midoffseason trade of Jaren Jackson Jr. that netted multiple first-round picks.