As we get closer to the Feb. 23 trade deadline, the rumor mill is beginning to heat up, and to no one’s surprise, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in the thick of things. The latest tidbit indicates that veteran guard Jose Calderon may be drawing some interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As Marc Stein of ESPN notes, the Cavs are looking for a veteran guard to add to their bench, and Calderon could make some sense:
Los Angeles Lakers guard Jose Calderon and Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut, league sources tell ESPN.com, have emerged as two players who greatly interest the Cavs in their search for bench help….
The Cavs know trading for Calderon, Bogut or Williams is highly unlikely given Cleveland’s various salary-cap and asset limitations.
Calderon’s ability to handle the ball and knock down shots make him attractive to Cleveland, and his defensive challenges could be mitigated by playing alongside some of the Cavaliers’ more athletic wings. James has of course been public in his desire that Cleveland add to their roster, and while Calderon isn’t the player that he once was, the 35-year-old could still be of some benefit.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Cavaliers have essentially run out of trade assets after making a deal with the Atlanta Hawks for Kyle Korver earlier this season. While the Lakers likely wouldn’t ask for much in return for Calderon, Stein does indicate that the Cavs are hoping that the Lakers waive him so they can add him as a free agent.
Such a move wouldn’t be unprecedented, as clubs do occasionally cut veterans loose so that they can latch on with a contender, but obviously the Lakers would much rather receive some type of compensation for Calderon, who is on an expiring contract.
