Latest news with #KentaviousCaldwellPope
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's Wife Reacts to the Magic Trade While Celebrating Father's Day
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's Wife Reacts to the Magic Trade While Celebrating Father's Day originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Orlando Magic are focused on contending for an NBA title as All-Star forward Paolo Banchero enters his prime. However, the management thinks the team needs a little bit of a shake-up to address their offensive woes. The Magic were last in the league in 3-point shooting, which is why they traded for Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Advertisement In return, the Grizzlies acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap. After just one season in Orlando, the veteran shooting guard is on the move again with two years left on his three-year, $66 million deal. Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope controls the ball against the Atlanta Zanine-Imagn Images KCP's wife, McKenzie Caldwell-Pope, addressed the unexpected trade on Monday. She posted on her Instagram account about how they found out about the deal while they were out celebrating Father's Day as a family. "We were in the middle of the ocean yesterday when we got the news about KCP going to the grizzlies. Not the news we were expecting on vacation but we are excited to take on a new city with our crew," McKenzie said about the trade. Advertisement After that, she had a heartfelt message for the two-time champion as they celebrated the holiday. "To our protecter, provider, and the heartbeat of our household @caldwellpope Happy Father's Day! From your number one fans in any city! We love you Daddy! 🤍" KCP didn't have the best season with the Magic. In the regular season, he appeared in 77 games and averaged 8.7 points and 2.2 rebounds on 34.2% shooting from three. His best asset is his 3-point shooting and Orlando hoped to get that from him in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the team, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard struggled in the postseason. Advertisement In the five-game series they played against the Boston Celtics, KCP put up five points and three rebounds on 26.1% from downtown. The Magic have moved on from KCP with the acquisition of Bane and hope to be contenders in the East. Related: Former NBA Star Says Magic Can 'Win-Now' With Desmond Bane This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Georgia Bulldogs guard signs with Orlando Magic
A former Georgia Bulldog has caught on with an NBA team. Former Georgia guard Dakota Leffew signed with the Orlando Magic to play in the 2025 NBA Summer League, according to 247Sports. He'll look to catch on as a professional basketball player after spending one season in Athens. Leffew was an important bench guard for Georgia. A 2024 transfer from Mount St. Mary's, he averaged 9.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, shooting 41.5% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc. He helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 10 years. Advertisement Leffew ran out of eligibility with Georgia forcing him to look at pro options. Georgia basketball lost six of their seven leading scorers from last year, either through the NBA draft (Asa Newell), the transfer portal (Silas Demary Jr., DeShayne Montgomery, RJ Godfrey) or running out of eligibility (Tyrin Lawrence and Leffew). Leffew isn't the only Georgia player to play for the Magic at some point. Litterial Green, who is Georgia's all-time career scoring leader (2,111 total points) played for the Orlando Magic from 1992-94, his first three seasons in the NBA. Green is one of just three players in SEC men's basketball history to rack up over 2,000 points and 400 assists, along with LSU's Pete Maravich and Tennessee's Allan Houston. The Magic also traded away former Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Former UGA guard Dakota Leffew signs with Orlando Magic
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Superstars can win me games" - KCP explains why Mitchell and Haliburton aren't superstars
"Superstars can win me games" - KCP explains why Mitchell and Haliburton aren't superstars originally appeared on Basketball Network. Two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope issued a bold statement about Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton during his recent guest appearance on Jordan McGruder's "Dawg Talk" podcast. Advertisement Caldwell-Pope, who was recently traded from the Orlando Magic to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Desmond Bane deal, said that while Mitchell and Haliburton are the franchise players of their respective teams, they have not yet achieved superstar status. "No," he responded when asked if he thought Haliburton was a superstar. "I wouldn't even build a team around Donovan Mitchell either. He's a 'superstar,' but superstars can win me games. Can he do that consistently every night? Go out there and try to win me a game? Can he average 25, 8, and 8? Bron did his whole career." KCP has played with Bron and Joker Caldwell-Pope has played long enough in the league to know what a superstar player is. When he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he was a teammate of LeBron James, and they won the 2020 NBA title. After L.A., KCP suited up for the Denver Nuggets and was on the same squad as Nikola Jokic. He won his second title there with the Serbian center. Advertisement Meanwhile, Mitchell has been an All-Star in each of the last six seasons. He's made the playoffs every year in his career but has never led any of his teams past the second round of the playoffs. On the other hand, Haliburton has made the All-NBA third team in each of the last two seasons. He's taken the Pacers to back-to-back ECF appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals this year. When comparing the two, KCP likes Hali's chances of reaching superstar status. In fact, Tyrese is already on his way there. "We're talking about getting teams involved, getting players involved, like going out and when my team needs me to win, I'm gonna go get this win. I can't do that with Donovan Mitchell, and I'm 50/50 with Haliburton. Because Haliburton can average 25-8-8. But for me, he's clutch now, but consistently throughout the game. I need you to be consistent with shooting the ball, playmaking, and all that. He's getting there but still inconsistent," KCP added. Related: "After much consideration, I am now prepared to rule" - When Utah judge ruled Michael Jordan pushed off in his final shot in '98 Hali beat Spida in the Playoffs Coincidentally, Mitchell and Haliburton faced off in the second round of the 2025 playoffs. Despite having a home-court advantage, Donovan could not lead his Cavaliers against Tyrese's underdog Pacers. Advertisement After Indiana stole Game 1 in Cleveland, they repeated in Game 2 with Haliburton knocking down the game-winning basket. With two points down and time winding down, Hali hit a step-back three-pointer to give the Pacers the 120-119 win. Mitchell had 43 in Game 3 as the Cavs cut the deficit to 1-2. However, the Pacers proved to be too tough for the Cavs as they completed a "Gentleman's Sweep". Donovan and Tyrese are some of the best players in the NBA today, and one can argue that they are already superstars in their own right. But if we consider Kenatvious' definition, he has a reason to put Hali in a better spot than Spida because Tyrese has been to back-to-back ECFs and Finals, while Donovan has never seen the postseason after the second round. Related: T-Mac doesn't think Haliburton is a superstar: "He is a really good basketball player on a really good basketball team" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade Grizzlies must consider after Desmond Bane blockbuster
The post The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade Grizzlies must consider after Desmond Bane blockbuster appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Memphis Grizzlies, after three straight disappointing seasons, decided to pivot, trading away Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for a package consisting of four first-round picks, a pick swap, Cole Anthony, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This was a gigantic return for someone who hasn't yet made an All-Star team, and affords the Grizzlies an opportunity to bid for the next star that becomes available in the trade market. Advertisement It's definitely a curious move, however, that the Grizzlies decided to move on from someone whom many thought was going to be a part of the team's core for the foreseeable future. This perhaps opens up the possibility that Memphis decides to blow it up and start from scratch, expunging all the bad vibes that seem to have been emanating from the team over the past three seasons. Nonetheless, rumor has it that the Grizzlies front office isn't exactly looking to rebuild. They instead would like to keep Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. and build from there, hoping that a full offseason under head coach Tuomas Iisalo would help re-establish them as a force to be reckoned with in the stacked Western Conference. But with Jackson being in the last year of his deal, the Grizzlies may want to recoup some value for him, lest he walks for nothing in free agency. The 25-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year has been noncommittal about his future, and it's not quite clear how he feels regarding the franchise's direction in the aftermath of the Bane trade. With that said, this is the trade that the Grizzlies must entertain if push comes to shove on the Jackson front. Grizzlies to take advantage of 76ers' desperation? Grizzlies acquire: Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, 2025 first-round pick (third overall), 2028 first-round pick (from LAC), 2030 first-round pick (from PHI) 76ers acquire: Jaren Jackson Jr. © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The 76ers are coming off a nightmare 2024-25 season; they entered the new campaign with high hopes after securing the summer signing of Paul George, but they never got going due to injury woes and proceeded to end the season needing to strategically lose ballgames just so they could keep their first-round pick this year (they owe it to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it fell outside the top-six). Advertisement Joel Embiid's injury woes cast such a huge cloud on the 76ers and their contending hopes; it's unclear if Embiid will ever be the same caliber of superstar he was prior to this past season after undergoing yet another surgery on his left knee. The good news for them is that they've been granted a pathway to straddling a two-timeline path, having the requisite talent to compete in the present while opening up the door for them to build a young up-and-coming team should the Embiid-George veteran star duo continue to decline. Nonetheless, the 76ers, for better or for worse, are going to be stuck with Embiid, and even though he's going to be very limited from this point forward, he remains a dominant force, as long as he's able to move well. So perhaps the 76ers would want to give Embiid the best chance possible to compete for a title for as long as his knees are working. And with that, the 76ers may not have the patience to wait for the presumptive third overall pick, Ace Bailey, to develop. Bailey has such high potential as an athletically-gifted three-level scorer on the wing, but he's so raw as a playmaker and decision-maker that it will take years for him to blossom into the necessary piece on a championship-level team. If the 76ers operate with a win-now urgency this offseason, perhaps the Grizzlies can capitalize on such desperation and cash in on a healthy return for Jackson, who is set to be a free agent following the 2025-26 season. Advertisement Jackson would give the 76ers the power forward they need to contend, and in the scenario above, the 76ers won't even have to give up Jared McCain. Instead, the Grizzlies will focus on acquiring the best draft capital they could from the 76ers, as trading Jackson away signals that they are ready for a full-scale rebuild. Acquiring the third overall pick of this year's draft gives the Grizzlies a legitimate building block for the future, regardless of if they use it on Bailey or VJ Edgecombe. They are going to be set for the future with plenty of draft assets, they can get even more by dangling the expiring deals of the three veteran salary fillers they'll be getting in the hypothetical above, and the eventual trade of Ja Morant would restock their asset cupboard even further. The Grizzlies may want to target McCain as well, but that price may be far too rich for the 76ers' liking. Perhaps a package headlined by McCain and other draft picks (with the 76ers keeping the third pick for themselves) could work as well, but the third overall pick, as it stands, is Philly's best available trade asset. (Maxey is their best trade asset, but he's not available.) But if the 76ers are looking to surround their core stars with the young talent who can grow irrespective of whether or not George and Embiid stay productive for the foreseeable future and decide to keep their young talent and draft assets to themselves, the Grizzlies can look elsewhere, perhaps dangling Jackson to the team that ends up missing out on Kevin Durant. Memphis trades JJJ to the Spurs Grizzlies acquire: Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, 2025 ATL first-round pick (#14), 2027 ATL first-round pick, 2029 SAS first-round pick, 2031 SAS first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick swap Spurs acquire: Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Durant may prefer to land with the San Antonio Spurs, but the decision is not up to him; the Phoenix Suns organization will look to do what's best for them, and if the Spurs continue to hold back in trade talks for the future Hall of Famer, they could end up missing out on his services. Advertisement Nonetheless, there are some arguments to be made that the Spurs should not trade for Durant. For starters, Durant is entering his age-37 season and will require San Antonio to go in full win-now mode to maximize their window with the star forward. Young, up-and-coming teams like the Spurs need time to marinate; just look at the Thunder and how they managed to grow their young core, putting them on the cusp of winning the 2025 NBA championship. Thus, if the Spurs end up missing out on Durant, they could perhaps set their sights on acquiring Jackson from the Grizzlies instead. Unlike Durant, Jackson has his whole prime ahead of him. He's only 25 years of age and took a huge step offensively last season, putting up 22 points per game without suffering a drop-off in efficiency. It would be close to impossible to score on the Spurs in the paint if they manage to pair Jackson with Wembanyama. And considering how promising the Spurs' trajectory is, they have a huge chance of re-signing him for the long haul. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are getting four first-round picks, two promising young players in Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, as well as a pick swap. There's no way Memphis is getting Stephon Castle in any deal, and the Spurs will be hesitant to include the second overall pick, especially for someone who can be a free agent after next season. Advertisement This would truly signal that the Grizzlies are going to start from scratch, with Ja Morant being next on the trade block in such a scenario. Related: The next trade Memphis Grizzlies must make after Desmond Bane stunner Related: Stephen A. Smith claps back at Ja Morant with fiery message
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Magic pick former player's son in 2025 NBA Draft
The post Magic pick former player's son in 2025 NBA Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Orlando Magic had one first round pick and No. 25 in the 2025 NBA Draft, and they used that pick to select Jase Richardson from Michigan State. The pick is significant not only because of his talent, but because his father Jason played for the Magic during his NBA career. The Magic had actually targeted Jase Richardson with the No. 16 pick in the NBA Draft before trading it away, as per Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire. Advertisement 'We actually brought Jase in to look at with the 16th pick. Throughout the process, you never know how these drafts are going to go,' Magic executive Jeff Weltman said after the draft. 'We were wondering if he could get into our range, and here we are. This is how the draft works, it's all a matter of what teams need at what position, what they're looking for. Jase for us, fits a lot of needs.' The Magic opted to trade the No. 16 pick in the draft to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that brought Desmond Bane to Orlando. The Magic sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four unprotected first round picks to the Grizzlies in the trade. With Richardson, the Magic are getting a talented scoring guard, albeit a little undersized, who has a knack for creating his own shot. He appeared in 36 games, including 15 starts, at a little over 25 minutes per game in his lone season at Michigan State. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists with splits of 49.3 percent shooting from the field, 41.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Richardson's father Jason played two seasons for the Magic from 2010-2012. He was originally acquired by the team in a trade with the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2009-2010 season. Despite signing a four-year contract extension with the Suns in 2011, the team opted to trade Jason to the Philadelphia 76ers the following offseason. Advertisement Following the Bane acquisition, some feel the Magic took a leap towards becoming a contender. As a team on the upswing, Richardson landed in a solid spot. Related: Grizzlies GM admits Desmond Bane trade is 'great' for Magic Related: Stephen A. Smith urges legendary Mavericks coach to join Magic, Jamahl Mosley
