6. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Los Angeles Lakers
Playing on a one-year, $18 million “prove it” deal last season, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was…fine. He didn’t produce an eye-popping stat line typical of a contract year, averaging 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Even so, he shot a career-high 38.3 percent from 3-point range and lent respectable wind defense to a Los Angeles Lakers team that drastically improved on that end.
That 3-and-D skill-set is what earned KCP another one-year trial run with the Lakers, since LeBron James needs complementary players fitting that very description. With that being said, it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old can answer the bell facing more pressure than ever now that he’s on a playoff-caliber team in the brutal West.
In fact, Caldwell-Pope’s starting gig isn’t even secured, and reigning Summer League MVP Josh Hart looks entirely capable of stealing the job in his second season. Even if Hart doesn’t secure the starting 2-guard spot, his sound play on both ends and 39.6 percent shooting from deep as a rookie hint he could take a significant bite out of KCP’s minutes.