The Grizzlies made a tough decision to trade Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic this summer. The Magic gave up significant draft capital, and shortly after, the Grizzlies moved up in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Cedric Coward, assisted by one of the first-round picks acquired from Orlando. Coward has star potential; however, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key piece of the trade, is struggling so far.
Originally selected 8th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Caldwell-Pope has had a solid career. Known for his defense and three-point shooting, Caldwell-Pope has been productive and won championships with the Lakers in 2020 and the Nuggets in 2023. Caldwell-Pope is coming off a tough season in Orlando, but it is understandable why Memphis was interested in him.
In recent seasons, the Grizzlies have needed more reliable veterans around Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Key priorities for the Grizzlies' retool were to improve the shooting and perimeter defense around the duo. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was meant to help in those areas, he has gotten off to a slow start this season, similar to his lone season in Orlando last year.
Caldwell-Pope has struggled immensely on offense
There are many reasons why the Grizzlies' offense has struggled so far, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's struggles have played a key role. The Grizzlies have not gotten the best out of their stars so far, but Caldwell-Pope is one of the role players that must improve. So far, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 7.7 points in 23.1 minutes per game, but the shooting splits are a major cause for concern.
Caldwell-Pope is shooting just 28% from three this season despite having a 36.6% three-point percentage in his career. He is currently on pace for a career-low three-point percentage. He is also shooting 42.1% on two-point shots, which is a 16% decrease from last season. Caldwell-Pope has a career-high 3.1 assists per game, but his shooting struggles have limited the offense.
Due to Cedric Coward's emergence and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's struggles, Caldwell-Pope was recently benched in favor of Coward. Coward is unlikely to relinquish his starting spot, but Caldwell-Pope remains a key piece of the Grizzlies' current bench. Caldwell-Pope should still provide defensive value, but the Grizzlies need him to get out of his offensive slump.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is currently in the second season of his three-year $66 million contract. His $21.6 million salary for this season makes him the third-highest earner on the team, behind Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. With a player option for the 2026/27 NBA season and the Grizzlies' slow start to the season, his future in Memphis could be worth monitoring if he continues to struggle.
Sitting at 4-11, the Grizzlies have won just one of their last ten games and went 0-4 on their recent road trip. Even with questionable in-game rotations and significant injuries, the Grizzlies simply need more players to step up. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope must find a rhythm offensively, as he is one of the key veterans on this team.