Kentavious Caldwell-Pope posts goodbye to Nuggets fans, Denver

The Denver Nuggets lost guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free agency.

It was blow to the 2023 NBA champions, as KCP was a big part of the best starting five in the NBA.

But Caldwell-Pope got big money from the Magic, inking a three-year, $66 million deal. There’s a little bit of controversy whether or not Denver offered something similar, but that’s neither here nor there at this point. The reality is KCP left the Nuggets for the Magic just a couple of hours into free agency.

That, however, doesn’t mean he won’t miss Denver and Nuggets Nation won’t miss him. Caldwell-Pope posted a heartfelt goodbye on Instagram on Monday morning. He actually used the team’s video from social media, and the caption itself is well said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (@caldwellpope)

“Denver, I have cherished every moment of wearing a Nuggets jersey. From the fans and your support, to my teammates, your trust in me and our brotherhood, and the unforgettable championship win in this amazing city. My family and I have felt the love, and we thank you! Excited for our next chapter,” Caldwell-Pope wrote.

A lockdown defender and three-point specialist, Caldwell-Pope thrived playing alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter-Jr.

In the 2023 playoffs he started all 20 games in which the Nuggets went 16-4 on the way to their first ever NBA championship.

However, he’s another key departure for GM Calvin Booth, who also lost Bruce Brown last offseason. Brown was going to be much trickier to retain under league rules, but there’s a world in which the Nuggets could’ve kept KCP. He gave an interesting answer on that over the weekend.

Regardless, we’ll always have good memories of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a Nuggets uniform. Unfortunately, that chapter is now closed.

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