Photo: Memphis Grizzlies/YouTube

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope says his return to playing meaningful basketball was the driving force behind signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he will reunite with longtime teammate LeBron James as part of one of the NBA’s most aggressive offseason roster rebuilds.

Speaking on The Dawg Talk Podcast, Caldwell-Pope made it clear that his priority is competing for another championship after spending last season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

“I just want to get back to playing meaningful basketball. Like playing for something like you saying for another championship,” he said. “I say that area again, that spotlight, you know, the playoffs, man. Ain’t nothing like it, man. And in the competition like the competitiveness just I want it. I still got a lot of years in me that I can still go.”

Caldwell-Pope reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and cleared waivers. He signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract, joining a revamped 76ers roster led by President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey.

The move reunites Caldwell-Pope with James, his teammate on the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers squad that captured the NBA championship inside the Orlando bubble. Caldwell-Pope later won a second title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, giving him championship experience alongside two different franchises.

Philadelphia’s front office has transformed the roster over the past month. The 76ers first acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade centered around Paul George before landing James in free agency on a two-year, $8 million contract. To create roster flexibility under the NBA’s luxury tax apron rules, the franchise waived Dalen Terry and traded Johni Broome to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations before finalizing the additions of James and Caldwell-Pope.

While Caldwell-Pope is no longer the offensive contributor he was earlier in his career, he remains a respected perimeter defender and floor spacer. In 51 games with Memphis during the 2025-26 season, he averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 41.0% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range before his season ended following finger surgery.

Across 13 NBA seasons, Caldwell-Pope has appeared in 963 games, averaging 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 36.5% shooting from beyond the arc. His résumé includes two NBA championships and a reputation as a dependable two-way role player capable of defending opposing perimeter stars.