The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed significant interest in re-signing guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason, however, since they will only have $16 million left below the hard salary cap, it'll be very difficult for them to get a deal done.
Caldwell-Pope, who opted out of his $8.4 million player option last week, is seeking to command a deal worth more than $10 million a year. According to Brad Turner of the LA Times, both the Lakers and Caldwell-Pope remain interested in getting a deal done, however, the most the Lakers can offer him is about $12 million, which makes it very difficult to re-sign him.
If the Lakers are able to re-sign Caldwell-Pope to a deal worth around $12 million a year, that'll give them enough money fill out the roster with players on minimum-salary contracts. However, it's worth mentioning that several teams, such as the New York Knicks, have expressed interest in signing Caldwell-Pope, and they will likely offer way more than the Lakers.
Caldwell-Pope, who is coming off an astonishing season with the Lakers, averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season. Caldwell-Pope struggled at times during the regular season, however, during the playoffs, his numbers ascended. The 27-year-old guard was a key role player for the Lakers during their championship run, averaging 10.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29 minutes per game.
Nevertheless, if Caldwell-Pope doesn't agree to re-sign with the Lakers, it'll be a tough blow for the organization, considering he was arguably their third-best player in the playoffs.
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