The Dallas Mavericks are trying to move on from the heartbreak of their NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. The best way to do this would be to strengthen their squad in the offseason in anticipation of another championship run in 2024-25.
Part of their plan appears to be to recruit a 3-and-D wing who can help them with their cause. Apparently, they have their sights set on Denver Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Dallas Mavericks Linked to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Caldwell-Pope, who won a chip with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and another one with the Nuggets last year, will be entering free agency this summer. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is “mutual interest” between the Mavs and KCP in a potential free-agency move.
There’s a big catch, though, and it involves the Nuggets not wanting to help the Mavs by any means:
“Dallas could only get into Caldwell-Pope’s projected salary range via sign-and-trade. It is believed that the Nuggets do not want to participate in a sign-and-trade with an in-conference rival — Dallas just supplanted Denver as the NBA’s reigning Western Conference champion — even if that means losing Caldwell-Pope without compensation,” Stein wrote.
According to Stein, the Nuggets would rather lose KCP as a free agent than trade him to the Mavs, in which scenario Denver will get something back in exchange for the 31-year-old. That’s how much the Nuggets do NOT want the Mavs to become a better team next season.
The Nuggets obviously want to make another run for the title in 2025, and they’re just not interested in helping any other team out there — especially if it’s a division rival like the Mavs.
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