Lakers Rumors: L.A. Trades For Veteran Point Guard Jose Calderon

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers went into the NBA’s free agency period determined to make moves, acting quickly to bring Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng to their young team. They also re-signed guard Jordan Clarkson, and drafted Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac.

However, their job wasn’t quite done yet, with the team still needing a backup point guard to spell D’Angelo Russell and Clarkson. They preferred to find a veteran who could act as a mentor to their young players and help keep the offense organized, and it now appears that they have found their man.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers have acquired guard Jose Calderon in a trade with the Chicago Bulls:

The 34-year-old Calderon has played 11 seasons in the NBA, most recently with the New York Knicks. He was recently sent to Chicago as part of the deal that landed Derrick Rose in New York. The Bulls suddenly found themselves in need of cap space when Dwyane Wade informed them he would be leaving the Miami Heat to head home to the Windy City, and the Lakers were able to jump in and snag Calderon.

According to Mike Bresnahan of Time Warner Cable SportsNet, there are no other players involved in the deal, but the Lakers will receive two second-round picks:

Calderon has developed a reputation as a steady point guard who rarely makes mistakes. He should fit right into Coach Luke Walton’s offense, where he can orchestrate the action and get the ball to the right people at the right time. Calderon also shoots 41 percent from three, which will be a plus for the Lakers, who were dead last in three-point shooting last season.

Unfortunately, this deal could very well mean the end of Marcelo Huertas’ time in Los Angeles. The flashy point guard had hoped to return to the Lakers, but with Calderon in the fold, his skills would largely be superfluous.

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Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com