The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly interested in acquiring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but the Denver Nuggets are not interested in facilitating a sign-and-trade.The Dallas Mavericks are aiming to upgrade their roster after reaching the NBA Finals and being eliminated by the Boston Celtics. With Luka Doncic at the lead, defensive versatility without compromising shooting ability is vital. They continue to be a squad to watch as they look for inventive ways to add talent. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Denver Nuggets has emerged as a fresh option for the Mavericks. He is increasingly anticipated to leave the organization after declining a $15.4 million player option before to free agency. The Nuggets’ front office has prepared for Caldwell Pope’s exit, with general manager Calvin Booth speaking with reporters on Thursday
“When you look at some of the teams that have been good in the past, they had to find a way to replace fourth [and] fifth starters, sixth men off the bench and still keep rolling,” Booth told the crowd. “It would be great if he was back; we’d have a lot more continuity together. But, based on what I’ve seen in terms of lineups and so on, Christian Braun and KCP are two of the league’s finest net rating players. So, if [Braun] steps into the starting lineup, I believe we will be fine even if KCP does not return.
“According to NBA insider Marc Stein, one of the Mavericks’ challenges in pursuing Caldwell-Pope is the requirement for a sign-and-trade agreement to make it work. However, the Nuggets do not want to help a Western Conference opponent add talent.According to NBA insider Marc Stein, one of the Mavericks’ challenges in pursuing Caldwell-Pope is the requirement for a sign-and-trade agreement to make it work. However, the Nuggets do not want to help a Western Conference opponent add talent.
According to Stein, the Dallas Mavericks were only able to offer Caldwell-Pope’s estimated salary range through a sign-and-trade agreement. “It is believed that the Nuggets do not want to engage in a sign-and-trade with an in-conference opponent — Dallas recently dethroned Denver as the NBA’s reigning Western Conference champion — even if it means losing Caldwell-Pope without compensation.
Other teams interested in Caldwell-Pope include the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, who have cap room and can sign him outright. However, it remains to be seen how important Caldwell-Pope will be for those clubs, given their ability to pursue more dynamic talent.The Mavericks have continued to signal that re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. is their top goal, which general manager Nico Harrison described to reporters as “priority A and B” during his media exit interview. Dallas is constrained to providing Jones the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.2 million) as a beginning salary until they clear enough salary to unlock the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, as the team achieved last summer through trades before adding Grant Williams.Continue to follow MavericksGameday for additional coverage of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA offseason, as well as Luka Doncic’s performance in Greece’s pre-Olympic qualifying competition.
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