The Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive line nearly saw a major upgrade this offseason under former Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Pope ultimately decided to sign with the Orlando Magic on a three-year contract, but reportedly Michael Scotto of HoopsHype The Sixers were the other suitor involved.
“Going into free agency, the Denver Nuggets were hoping that either the Orlando Magic or Philadelphia 76ers would outbid Kentavious Caldwell-Pope,” Scotto wrote. “And he ended up agreeing to a three-year, $66 million deal with Orlando on the first day of free agency.”
Pope is a huge addition to the Magic’s guard group as they were in desperate need of a veteran presence. The 31-year-old averaged 10.1 points and 1.3 steals on 46% shooting from the field and 40.6% from three last season. The two-time NBA champion wasn’t the only connection between Denver and Philadelphia as the Nuggets were reportedly among numerous teams interested in sharpshooter Buddy Hield via a sign-and-trade deal.
“Before Buddy Hield agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors, there was some communication with the Nuggets, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “However, Denver was unable to come close financially to being a finalist in Hield’s decision.”
