Bennett Durando is the Denver Nuggets beat writer for The Denver Post. Before moving to Colorado, where he started as The Post's Avalanche beat writer, he covered SEC football, basketball and other sports for five years: first reporting on his alma mater, Missouri, for the St.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Denver Nuggets celebrates hitting a three pointer against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. MINNEAPOLIS — The Nuggets no longer need a physical prop to represent their championship aspirations, so Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is thinking of scaling back
He’s also taking Bruce Brown’s place as the most imminent question mark looming over the Nuggets’ future. Last summer, their sixth man declined a $6.8 million player option to enter free agency. This summer, their fifth man has a $15.4 million player option in his two-year contract. Caldwell-Pope’s 2023-24 cap figure is $14.7 million.
Opting out wouldn’t necessarily equal walking away from Denver. The Nuggets will try to keep Caldwell-Pope on the 2024-25 roster regardless. But as was the case with Brown last year, it’ll depend on a variety of factors: Who wins the championship, how the market subsequently unfolds, what Caldwell-Pope prioritizes if he’s highly sought-after, and how far over the luxury tax Denver is willing to spend. The 2023-24 payroll is already $4.
It’s not a perfect one-for-one comparison, obviously. Green had a bit more length than Caldwell-Pope. He contributed a bit more rebounding. Most notably, he had an All-Defensive Team appearance on his resume. Caldwell-Pope does not, though he has made a On the other hand, Caldwell-Pope is uniquely egoless in terms of wanting shots. His attempts have decreased two straight years in Denver without scrutiny or controversy, an indicator of how smoothly KCP can melt into his precise role.
It’s a task that demands more constant effort and intensity than other roles. It’s why he’s admired by teammates and trusted by coaches. Caldwell-Pope says his past championships haven’t affected his full-throttle approach to the regular season.
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