3 important factors Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will bring to Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to land Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a deal to bolster the bench unit with a championship-experienced guard with an ability to contribute on both ends of the floor. When considering the second unit struggles for Philadelphia in the 2025-26 season, the Sixers made sure they added some quality depth in this offseason.

Caldwell-Pope spent the previous season with the Memphis Grizzlies before landing with the Sixers on a deal in free agency, but he has won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) and the Denver Nuggets (2023). He was the No. 8 pick of the 2013 draft by the Detroit Pistons and has spent time with the Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic as well.

Here are three factors Caldwell-Pope will bring to Philadelphia as he looks to win a third championship:

Caldwell-Pope's 3-point shooting has dipped from 40.6% in the 2023-24 season in Denver to 34.2% in Orlando in 2024-25, and then 31.6% in 2025-26 in Memphis. That may alarm some, but that could be attributed to the personnel around him. He was the only real capable shooter in Orlando and things fell apart early in Memphis. In Philadelphia, he will be playing next to the likes of LeBron James--who he played with in Los Angeles--Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey. That 3-point percentage should go up rather quickly. He will also help in the playmaking aspect as he averaged 2.7 assists per game with the Grizzlies.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Caldwell-Pope had a steal percentage of 1.6% in the 2025-26 season with Memphis. That percentage was 1.9% in Orlando and 1.8% in Denver. His ability to disrupt opposing offenses with a pass breakup and being able to get out in transition is going to be so helpful on a team that has real fastbreak options in Maxey, James, and VJ Edgecombe. With KCP's ability to get out and make things happen defensively, it will allow the Sixers to turn defense into offense. Philadelphia should have one of the better fastbreak offenses in the league due to the transition chances this team should create.

The Sixers will lean on Caldwell-Pope to be a calming influence for this group. While the quartet of Brown, James, Maxey, and Embiid has been through a ton of battles and has built resilience, the younger pieces such as Edgecombe, Labaron Philon Jr., Justin Edwards, and others will need some guidance on the second unit. Having Caldwell-Pope's championship experience around will do wonders for this group as they move forward. He has been through so much in his 13-year career and that experience will show itself in big moments for Philadelphia.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 important factors Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will bring to Sixers