Los Angeles Lakers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Oct 28, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) shoots the ball during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Russ Isabella

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be unable to play in three road games outside California due to a 25-day restriction stemming from his misdemeanour offence as part of the Detroit Pistons. Caldwell-Pope joined the Lakers on a one-year, US$18 million (AU$23 million) contract this offseason.

After missing the first two games of the season due to a suspension, KCP was forced to sit out of the Lakers' 121-112 away loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. With the Cleveland game serving as the first road game, Caldwell-Pope will miss at least two more games outside California within the next few weeks.

After a practice session Saturday, KCP explained the reason he sat out of Thursday's game in Cleveland. "With the court situation, we came up with the agreement that, I still get to carry on with my season but only in the state of California for the 25-day restriction that I have. I was blessed that I am able to continue to play ball. It was always a possibility that I would continue to play," the guard added. "I just had agreed to some restrictions in order for me to continue to play," the guard said, via ESPN.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will play on Monday

Caldwell-Pope is expected to suit up Monday (Tuesday AEDT) when the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center. It will be a special occasion for Lakers fans as the organisation honours the legacy of Kobe Bryant by retiring the two jerseys of the Black Mamba.

Lakers coach Luke Walton credited Caldwell-Pope as one of the primary reasons for the team's improved defensive efficiency. The Lakers are currently Top-10 in the league in defence.

"He is one of those guys that hits big shots for us, and when you are on the road, you can stall out a little bit like we have a tendency to do from time to time, and he is somebody that can get it going and hit two or three straight jumpers or make a big play on defence or get a steal for us. There are things from both ends of the floor that we will miss from him, but it was nice having him back with us today in practice."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is averaging 14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his fifth season in the NBA. Caldwell-Pope turned down a five-year extension from the Detroit Pistons to test the free agency market before joining the Lakers. The guard could potentially sign a long-term extension to stay in Los Angeles next July.