Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer after playing out his rookie contract in Detroit. While an $18 million salary isn’t chump change, Caldwell-Pope was certainly hoping for a long-term deal considering his age and skill set.
But unfortunately for Caldwell-Pope, legal troubles resulted in a less-than-ideal narrative for his free agency, as he was initially arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. It would later come out that the charges against him concluded he wasn’t actually operating the vehicle, but rather, he allowed someone that was intoxicated to operate his vehicle. The initial sentence was 12 months of probation with various benchmarks and drug testing that could either reduce or worsen his punishment.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Caldwell-Pope would be entering a 25-day program that would see his probation end, but there was a catch. The strict program he was in required him to stay in the state of California, meaning he couldn’t travel with the team when it left the state. Aside from the no travel order, the details of his program were rather vague.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Times uncovered the specifics of Caldwell-Pope’s program, and it turns out he’s actually going to serve jail time when he isn’t working for the Lakers. Caldwell-Pope missed several drug tests during his probation period, which is why this particular sentence is so severe.
The 24-year-old is serving his sentence in the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center and, under a work-release program, is being allowed to leave the facility for games and practices, according to court and jail officials and court documents.
Court records show Caldwell-Pope must wear a GPS monitor outside the detention facility. When he returns from games or practices, he must submit to a breath test.
According to court documents, should Caldwell-Pope violate any of the terms of the agreement, he will be sentenced to 93 days in Oakland County Jail.
As for where Caldwell-Pope will serve his sentence, the report indicated that the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center “has a reputation as a refuge for wealthy offenders.”
