DETROIT – Detroit Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will become a restricted free agent after this season - and the Pistons won't be the only team interested.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Brooklyn Nets - with lots of cap space - will target KCP in free agency.
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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.
24-year-old Caldwell-Pope could see a max-deal in the free agent market, and Pistons owner Tom Gores said re-signing him is a top priority.
"I know Kentavious well. He is a hard worker. He is reliable and is improving every day," Gores said in January. "He should be a Piston. That’s just bottom line. He has what it takes to be a Piston. He was a shy kid when I met him, and he’s become a leader."
Caldwell-Pope is having his best season, in his fourth NBA year, averaging 14.2 points per game, and shooting a career high 37 percent from the three point line.