Free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will leave the Denver Nuggets and finalize a three-year, $66 million contract with the Orlando Magic, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.
Caldwell-Pope, 31, has been a linchpin on both ends of the floor for the Nuggets since arriving in Denver two years ago, helping them to the 2022-23 title with his 3-point shooting and ability to guard opposing perimeter stars.
In each of his two seasons in Denver, Caldwell-Pope (a career 36.9% shooter from 3-point range) has eclipsed 40% from 3-point range while playing in 76 games both years. As a defender, Caldwell-Pope allowed a league-best 40.6% field goal percentage as the closest defender last season, per ESPN Stats & Information research, while frequently taking on the tougher assignment.
The Magic exceeded expectations last season by winning 47 games, a 13-win improvement from the 2022-23 season and a 25-win jump from the 2021-22 season. They finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, but lost to the Cavaliers in a seven-game first-round playoff series.
Caldwell-Pope’s shooting should help Orlando make another leap in 2024-25. The Magic ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency and 24th in 3-point shooting last regular season and were the only playoff team to rank in the bottom 10 in 3-point shooting.
Since being selected eighth in the 2013 NBA draft, Caldwell-Pope spent four years each with the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers before playing a single season with the Washington Wizards, where he landed after being part of the trade that brought Russell Westbrook to the Lakers.
Caldwell-Pope was then traded to the Nuggets ahead of the 2022-23 season, which ended with him claiming the second NBA championship in his 11-year NBA career.
Caldwell-Pope has played in 835 games since entering the NBA in 2013-14, the most in the NBA during that span.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.