The Brooklyn Nets are planning on making Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope their top free agent target, according to the New York Post.
It’s been the worst-kept secret for much of the season, but the Brooklyn Nets are rumored to be planning on going all-out for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Detroit Pistons in free agency this summer.
The Nets start 33-year-old journeyman Randy Foye at the two-guard spot and are young but bereft at talent throughout much of their roster as it currently stands, and a season ago they made big offers to restricted free agent two-guards Tyler Johnson of the Miami Heat and Allen Crabbe of the Portland Trail Blazers.
This coming offseason will provide a similar circumstance for the Nets. They have $33 million in cap space, and they’re far from a free agent destination as they’ll be coming off a season in which they likely will have between 15 and 20 wins. Thanks to restricted free agency rules, teams like the Nets have found a hole to exploit in order to try to acquire young talent.
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According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets are planning on making KCP their top target in free agency.
"Both scouts and former teammates told The Post that Caldwell-Pope, who had 19 points and four rebounds in a 98-96 loss to the Nets Tuesday, has become the most important piece on a Pistons roster that features All-Star Andre Drummond, and young standouts Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris. That’s why Brooklyn is expected to make the two-way wing a top priority this summer."
The Nets can offer up to a four-year, $103 million contract, but the Pistons have the right to match any offer. If the Pistons match, they’ll retain his rights. It’s also likely the Philadelphia 76ers will have interest in pursuing KCP’s rights, as they have a talent deficit on the wing and will have plenty of money to spend.
It’s a virtual certainty that the Pistons will match any offer sheet. If they didn’t intend to match, they surely would have traded KCP at the trade deadline. Not retaining KCP won’t yield any extra cap space with which to acquire big-ticket free agents, because since the Pistons are already over the cap the only savings they’d get would be on the luxury tax.
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There’s a chance one of Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond or Tobias Harris may be moved in order to clear space, but it’s very unlikely that any circumstance will arise in which Caldwell-Pope begins next season in any other jersey.