Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Moving to bench role
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Caldwell-Pope is not starting against the Cavaliers on Saturday, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
The Grizzlies have decided to shake things up in their starting lineup, and Caldwell-Pope will head to the bench, as Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward (foot) will start on the wings alongside Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson and Zach Edey. Caldwell-Pope is averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting a career-worst 29.8 percent from three-point range this season.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Absent from injury report
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Caldwell-Pope (elbow) is not listed on the injury report for Saturday's game against Cleveland.
Caldwell-Pope exited Wednesday's game against Boston with right elbow soreness, though the issue won't lead to an absence Saturday. With Cedric Coward (foot) unlikely to play, Caldwell-Pope could see a few extra shots fall his way. On the year, the veteran swingman has averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers in 23.4 minutes per contest over 13 games.
Caldwell-Pope exited Wednesday's game with right elbow soreness, and he will not return.
Caldwell-Pope was grabbing at his right elbow during Tuesday's game, and he told Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian after that game that it felt like there were "little nerves" every time he hit it. It seems he aggravated the injury during Wednesday's game, and for now, he should be considered questionable for Saturday's contest in Cleveland. If he can't give it a go, Cedric Coward would have the opportunity to start.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Scores nine in loss
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Caldwell-Pope finished with nine points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 23 minutes during Sunday's 114-100 loss to the Thunder.
Caldwell-Pope, like the rest of the Grizzlies, was unable to get things going offensively Sunday, but he salvaged his day from a fantasy production standpoint with a steal and a block. On the season, he is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.3 threes per game.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Another quiet showing
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Caldwell-Pope supplied 12 points (3-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and two assists across 27 minutes during Sunday's 117-104 loss to the Raptors.
Despite the poor shooting display, Caldwell-Pope managed to score in double digits for the fifth time in seven games this season. The veteran swingman still hasn't offered much fantasy appeal overall, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Grizzlies eventually gave rookie first-rounder Cedric Coward more playing time. Caldwell-Pope has averaged 10.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game, shooting a paltry 34.4 percent from the field.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Hands out five assists in win
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Caldwell-Pope contributed 10 points (3-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, five assists and one steal in 23 minutes during Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.
After dishing out six assists in a loss to the Heat on Friday, Caldwell-Pope handed out five more against Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back. Across three outings in 2025-26, KCP is averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. The 13-year veteran has been doing a little bit of everything for his new team, and he and the Grizz will look to improve to 3-1 when they visit Golden State on Monday.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Available Friday
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Caldwell-Pope (ankle) is available for Friday's game against the Heat.
Caldwell-Pope will shed his questionable tag due to right ankle soreness and suit up Friday. The veteran swingman posted 15 points (2-8 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 9-9 FT), four rebounds and three assists across 31 minutes during Wednesday's season-opening win over New Orleans.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Questionable with ankle soreness
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Caldwell-Pope (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Heat, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Friday is the front end of a back-to-back set for the Grizzlies. If Caldwell-Pope ends up sitting out against Miami, rookie first-rounder Cedric Coward could get his way into the streaming mix.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Puts up 15 points in win
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Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points (2-8 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 9-9 FT), four rebounds and three assists across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 128-122 victory over the Pelicans.
The Grizzlies are very shorthanded to open the season due to injuries, so Caldwell-Pope is going to be leaned on heavily. As the best pure shooter on the roster, Caldwell-Pope's floor spacing will be crucial for the likes of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson with so much defensive attention on those guys. The veteran shooting guard is likely to be a stable source of points, three-pointers and steals, but his overall upside is lacking.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Drills three triples in loss
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Caldwell-Pope registered 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-4 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and one steal across 19 minutes during Saturday's 122-116 preseason loss to the Hawks.
Caldwell-Pope looked sharp in his second appearance of the preseason, scoring nine of his 13 points from beyond the arc. This is exactly the type of play the Grizzlies were hoping for when bringing him in on a two-year, $44.38 million deal, so expect to see the 32-year-old let it fly from beyond the arc heading into the 2025-26 regular season.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Will start vs. Atlanta
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Caldwell-Pope (rest) will be in the starting lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Hawks.
Caldwell-Pope will be in the first five for his new squad after sitting out Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics for rest purposes. The veteran guard scored 15 points in his last preseason outing against the Pistons on Monday.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Available Saturday
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Caldwell-Pope (rest) has been cleared to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Hawks, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
After missing Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics for rest purposes, Caldwell-Pope will return along with Ty Jerome (rest) and Jock Londale (rest). In his preseason debut with his new squad on Monday, Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points, three assists and two rebounds across 21 minutes against the Pistons.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Won't play Wednesday
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Caldwell-Pope (rest) has been ruled out for Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.
Caldwell-Pope joins Ty Jerome (rest) and Jock Landale (rest) as veteran players who will rest against Boston. Rookie guard Cedric Coward will be in the starting lineup to shoulder the load in the backcourt.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Bench role Wednesday
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Caldwell-Pope will come off the bench during Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics.
Caldwell-Pope was in the starting lineup for his preseason debut with Memphis against Detroit on Monday. He'll be in the second unit with rookie guard Cedric Coward getting the start. Caldwell-Pope tallied 15 points, three assists and two rebounds across 21 minutes against the Pistons.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Scores 15 points in loss
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Caldwell-Pope notched 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt), three assists and two rebounds in 21 minutes of Monday's 128-112 preseason loss to Detroit.
This was a solid start to Caldwell-Pope's Memphis career. With Ja Morant (ankle) and Jaren Jackson (toe) among several injuries on Memphis' roster, Caldwell-Pope is likely to see a bump in usage to open the season. He's certainly someone to monitor closely as a source of efficient three-pointers with plenty of steals.
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Grizzlies' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Headed to Memphis
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The Magic traded Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap to the Grizzlies on Sunday in exchange for Desmond Bane, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Caldwell-Pope signed a two-year, $44.38 million deal with the Magic last offseason, which included a team option for 2026-27, but his lone season in Orlando didn't go as planned. The veteran posted his fewest points per game (8.7) and shot 34.2 percent from deep, his lowest since 2015-16. Given his salary, Caldwell-Pope should see considerable playing time next season, but Memphis will likely stay busy this offseason in an effort to rejuvenate a stagnant franchise.
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Magic's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Quiet in Game 5 loss
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Caldwell-Pope logged eight points (3-9 FG, 2-7 3Pt), three rebounds, one assist and one steal across 30 minutes during Tuesday's 120-89 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Caldwell-Pope had a miserable postseason against Boston's defense, shooting 26.7 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from beyond the arc. He was a useful role player in the regular season, however, appearing in 77 games with 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in 29.6 minutes while shooting 43.9 percent from the field. Caldwell-Pope will be back with Orlando and is owed $21.6 million in 2025-26, and he holds a player option for 2026-27.
Caldwell-Pope supplied eight points (2-4 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals over 32 minutes during Sunday's 107-98 loss to Boston in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Despite struggling in the scoring department during this first-round series, Caldwell-Pope can still get it done defensively, which he proved in Game 4. The veteran guard recorded a team-high two steals and two blocks Sunday. However, it wasn't enough to hold off Jayson Tatum and company, who went on to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with the series now heading back to Boston for Game 5.
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Magic's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Poor outing in loss
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Caldwell-Pope produced three points (1-9 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and four rebounds in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 109-100 loss to Boston in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Caldwell-Pope has struggled mightily offensively to begin Orlando's series against Boston, averaging 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists in 35.0 minutes across the first two contests. Caldwell-Pope has shot just three of his 14 field-goal attempts and two of his 10 three-point attempts.
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Magic's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Three swipes in loss
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Caldwell-Pope provided six points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 35 minutes during Sunday's 103-86 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Caldwell-Pope didn't make much of an impact offensively in Game 1 in Boston, scoring just six points in the loss. However, the veteran guard was able to make his presence felt defensively, with a team-high three steals. Unfortunately for Orlando, it was nowhere near enough to help get the best of the defending NBA champions, as the Celtics went on to win by 17 points.
