After trading Santi Aldama, the Grizzlies are not done yet, as they still have to get under the roster limit. It remains to be seen what else is next, but the team has a clear next move staring right at them. This has been an extremely busy offseason in Memphis already, but the next move to make will be resolving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's future.
Earlier today, Chris Haynes reported that the Grizzlies and Caldwell-Pope are working towards parting ways, whether he ends up getting traded or he hits free agency. It wasn't long ago that Caldwell-Pope ended up exercising his player option for this upcoming season, which was valued at $21.6 million.
Caldwell-Pope is in the late stages of a very successful NBA career and has slowed down offensively the last two seasons; it makes sense why both parties are willing to part ways. With the fact that the Grizzlies simply have no choice but to create more roster space, Caldwell-Pope is likely the next player on the move, whether it's a trade or buyout.
Ideally, the Grizzlies will be able to strike a deal to trade Caldwell-Pope's remaining salary and get something in return. However, it seems likely that a buyout could materialize in the near future, which would allow Caldwell-Pope to find a new team on his terms.
Selected 8th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a two-time NBA champion who has consistently been a reliable shooting and defensive presence. While he was brought over in the Desmond Bane trade, mainly as a veteran presence and salary filler for the deal, Caldwell-Pope's offensive struggles continued, and he was eventually benched in favor of Cedric Coward.
The Grizzlies have simply been one of the busiest teams in the NBA this offseason. They had a strong 2026 NBA Draft, which also included multiple trades to move around in the first round. They also traded for Isaiah Stewart on the second night of the draft. And now, this past week, they have moved on from Ja Morant and Santi Aldama, officially closing the door on the entire Next Gen Era.
There are still plenty of more moves the Grizzlies have to make, but the next logical choice after trading Santi Aldama will be to resolve Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's future. Whether it is a trade or a buyout, the Grizzlies will soon be moving on from another player from last year's group.
This is an exciting and emotional time for Grizzlies fans, and it will be interesting to see what unfolds next this summer.
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