Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brings championship pedigree to rising Orlando Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. – Veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope first showed leadership with his young and rising Orlando Magic teammates by offering words of wisdom about the importance of competing at training camp. The two-time NBA champion believed his advice would make everyone better.

With ambitions to do what Caldwell-Pope, nicknamed KCP, has already done, the Magic players gave their undivided attention.

“He’s already been making his presence felt early vocally,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero told Andscape. “And then, physically, he is in the right spots and that connector for us on both sides of the floor. That is something that obviously we take pride in as a team and he fits right in. I’m just really excited about what he’s going to add to our team, the leadership he’s going to bring and his perspective.”

The Magic are the fifth-youngest team in the NBA for the 2024 season (average age 24.7 years old) according to NBA.com. Caldwell-Pope, 32, is the second-oldest player to veteran guard Cory Joseph, 33. Caldwell-Pope is also the most decorated veteran on the team with two NBA titles with the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers and 62 playoff games in 11 seasons. Moreover, the 6-foot-5, 204-pounder has played in a league-high 835 games since entering the NBA in 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

With Banchero, a 2024 NBA All-Star, leading the way, last season the Magic made the postseason for the first time since 2020. Caldwell-Pope and the Magic face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a playoff rematch Friday night (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).

With the addition of Caldwell-Pope, Orlando believes it has added needed perimeter defense, 3-point shooting and leadership. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Caldwell-Pope is already mentoring on the “little details,” including talking to guard Jalen Suggs about making more of an impact defensively and Banchero about spacing on offense when he has the ball.

“He means so much to this team,” Mosley told Andscape about Caldwell-Pope. “He brings leadership, experience and a mentality of winning by playing defense and doing all the little things that often go unnoticed.”

“He has a really unique perspective on how he can help us as a team and he has championship pedigree. That’s what we’re trying to get to and he’s a good guy to help us achieve that,” Banchero said of Caldwell-Pope.

Caldwell-Pope said that he is doing a lot of teaching daily with the Magic, showing his young teammates simpler ways of doing things while offering insight about what he’s seen on film and in practice. Caldwell-Pope said he received the same mentoring from former teammates LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo and Jamal Murray.

“I’m pretty vocal, but I learned that from the past two teams I’ve been on, Denver and then a little bit in D.C. [Washington Wizards]. But mostly from my two championship teams and just being around guys that were leaders, a lot of guys in the locker room that were vocal enough. Just learning from those guys and just knowing what I’m talking about, too, makes it easier,” Caldwell-Pope said.

What wasn’t easy for Caldwell-Pope was leaving the Nuggets.

Caldwell-Pope was the starting shooting guard when the Nuggets won their first NBA championship in 2023. Last season, he continued to be a key player for the Nuggets, averaging 10.1 points and 1.2 steals while shooting 40.6% on 3-pointers. The Nuggets, however, opted to turn to younger shooting guard Christian Braun for the future. So instead of returning to the Mile High City, Caldwell-Pope signed a three-year, $66 million contract with the Magic.

“It was hard. We gave them the opportunity, but things happen,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I let my agent, Rich Paul, handle all that. But my agent always told me, ‘This is a business at the end of the day.’ I got to figure out what’s going to make me happy, what fits best for me and my family …

“I was part of the first [Nuggets title] in almost like 40-something years. Of, course everybody that was on that team that year is going to be a part of that championship going down in history. It’s just always a blessing and I’m thankful just to be a part of stuff like that and to also play a major role in it.”

They aren’t talking a first NBA championship in Orlando, but expectations for being an Eastern Conference power are growing. The Magic pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 in their first-round playoff series last season and are off to a strong start to the regular-season (3-2). The rising superstar Banchero, who is out indefinitely with a torn oblique, also has a spotlight on him after scoring a career-high 50 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Caldwell-Pope believes he made a solid long-term decision by coming to Orlando.

“What made this a good fit was the young corps that they have and the returning guys that they did bring back,” Caldwell-Pope said. “The core group is still together. Just the way they played last [season], the growth that I’ve seen in the organization, them making the playoffs, showed a lot to me that they were up-and-coming. I just really sat down and thought about it with my family about what is a great fit for them as well. Orlando seems pretty good for me.”

Orlando is about an hour and 45 minutes by plane from Caldwell-Pope’s offseason home of Atlanta. Another plus is the Greenville, Georgia, native doesn’t have to worry about snow in Florida.

“All the snow jackets are gone. We left them in Atlanta at home,” Caldwell-Pope said with a smile. “The weather is pretty good here. We’re on that golf course.”