The Grizzlies have been searching for a veteran leader to aid the development of their young core for the last couple of seasons. They swung and missed on their first attempt with Marcus Smart, as injuries didn't allow them to see how well or not he would mesh with their star trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Unfortunately, it took the team trading Desmond Bane to return a veteran piece they feel will provide substantial value to their young stars who are entering their prime years. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) has won two NBA championships as a starting role player on two separate teams in the last six years.