The Los Angeles Lakers were active at the trade deadline moving guards Lou Williams and Marcelo Huertas in moves that signaled a shift towards more development of young players.
It appears as though they are not quite done. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Lakers are speaking with point guard Jose Calderon about a potential buyout:
Story going online now: The Lakers and veteran guard Jose Calderon are exploring their buyout options, ESPN has learned.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 25, 2017
Calderon appears to have some great teams interested in his services, making a buyout an interesting proposition for him:
ESPN sources say Golden State and Houston would emerge as suitors for Jose Calderon if the Spaniard guard indeed secures his release from LA
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 25, 2017
Cleveland also had great interest in Calderon, but the Cavs should soon add Deron Williams to their backcourt once D-Will clears waivers.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 25, 2017
This is a move that many expected and one that makes sense for both sides.
For Calderon, it allows him to join a better team where he can provide some solid minutes as a backup point guard en route to making a deep playoff run.
Calderon must be waived by Wednesday in order to play in the postseason for a team. Stein reports that it’s not a certainty he will be waived but discussions are ongoing.
For the Lakers, moving on from Calderon gives them a free roster spot. That position can be given to any number of players but the Lakers would likely choose to use it to give out 10-day contracts to D-League players who interest them.
Calderon’s biggest value to LA was the two second-round picks they received in order to take on his contract. He was reportedly being shopped at the trade deadline but it appears as though there was no market for him.
It’s the right choice for the Lakers. They are not close to any significant winning and Calderon was not playing ahead of the young players. They can use his spot on the roster to effectively try out other young players and hope that they can find a diamond in the rough.
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