The Los Angeles Lakers made a huge move this summer when they signed shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million deal. Originally a restricted free agent, the Detroit Pistons renounced his rights after trading for Avery Bradley, giving the Lakers an unexpected opportunity that they took advantage of.
This is something that was spoken about at Caldwell-Pope’s introductory press conference as Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka compared him joining the Lakers to a biblical story in which bread fell down from heaven to the Israelites.
Pelinka has quickly become known for his stories that he tells and this one caught the eye of many around the league. Caldwell-Pope recently spoke about his feelings on the comparison in his appearance on Uninterrupted’s Open Run podcast with Jesse Williams and Stefan Marolachakis:
“I felt the same way. Just having this opportunity to play for an organization like the Lakers and just being blessed to be put in a position to even do that. So I felt the same way. I’m still trying to soak it in.”
While the story may have caught some by surprise, there is no doubt that signing Caldwell-Pope was a huge move for the Lakers. The team had a hole at shooting guard and he fits perfectly with his shooting and defense.
Now the Lakers will be looking for Caldwell-Pope to be one of the leaders on this team as a young veteran and help bring the franchise back to the playoffs. He is already looking forward to playing with rookie Lonzo Ball and the pair should be a formidable one in the backcourt.
For Pelinka, Caldwell-Pope represented his first major free agent signing as Lakers GM. If he can continue bringing in big players in free agency, his stories will continue on for a long time.
