Denver Nuggets, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope agree to 2-year, $30 million contract extension

Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed on a two-year, $30 million extension his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN on Wednesday night.

The deal, which starts with the 2023-24 season, includes a player option, Paul said.

Caldwell-Pope had been entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $14 million. The guaranteed money in the deal will push Caldwell-Pope’s career earnings to $120 million.

Caldwell-Pope, 29, arrived to the Nuggets in a trade with the Washington Wizards two weeks ago and is expected to be a key 3-and-D performer to complement MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Caldwell-Pope is expected to benefit from Jokic’s great passing ability. He is a 41% catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter over the past two years, ranking in the top 10 among 59 players to attempt 500 of those shots, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Caldwell-Pope shot 44.8% on open 3-pointers last season with Washington, which ranked him in the top 10 among players with 150 attempts, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth acquired Caldwell-Pope in the trade that sent Will Barton and Monte Morris to Washington. In Caldwell-Pope’s first full season with the Wizards, he started 77 games, averaging 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

For his career — including stops with the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers — Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.