Grizzlies Secure Star: Caldwell-Pope Opts In for Massive $21.6M Deal!

Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is exercising his $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, according to sources reported by ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday. Caldwell-Pope is a two-time champion, having secured titles with both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets during his career.

The veteran guard underwent surgery in February to address a misalignment on his right pinkie finger, an injury that led him to miss the final 31 games of the previous season.

At 33 years old, Caldwell-Pope's performance last season for the Grizzlies saw him average 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes across 51 games, with 14 starts. His shooting percentages for the season were 49.5% on 2-point field goals and 31.6% from 3-point range. These figures mark his fewest minutes and points averaged in a season since his rookie year in the league.

The player option signifies the final year of a three-year, $66 million contract for Caldwell-Pope. He initially joined the Grizzlies from the Orlando Magic last summer as part of the Desmond Bane trade, bringing his reputation as one of the league's proven '3-and-D' players to the team.

However, Caldwell-Pope's 3-point shooting percentage has not exceeded 34.2% over the past two seasons, a notable dip after consistently hitting at least 39% from beyond the arc in each of his previous four seasons prior to 2024-25. ESPN's Michael C. Wright also contributed to the reporting of this information.