Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a great role player for the Los Angeles Lakers over the past few years, and he was instrumental in the team’s championship victory while in the NBA bubble. While he may have been inconsistent at times, there is no doubt that he was beloved by fans who knew exactly what his worth to the team was.
Just last week, Caldwell-Pope was traded out of Los Angeles as the team sent him, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Russell Westbrook. While guys like Kuzma have already bid farewell to the team, Caldwell-Pope took to Instagram today where he left a kind message to those who have run the Lakers over the past four years.
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“Who knew that a 1 year deal would turn into a 4 year run in the purple and gold. Thank you Magic, Jeanie, and Rob for believing in me. We are forever cemented in history with #17,” Pope wrote. While things got tough for Caldwell-Pope at times, he was able to keep things going and there is no doubt that the Wizards are getting a solid player.
Heading into next season, Bradley Beal will have a solid crop of players to work with, and Caldwell-Pope is definitely one of them. If they can find chemistry together, the Wizards could very well be back in the playoffs again this season.