Toronto Raptors looking to trade Jose Calderon after landing Kyle Lowry – NBA News
After trading with the Houston Rockets to acquire point guard Kyle Lowry, the Toronto Raptors and Jose Calderon are now working closely to find a new home for the guard.
Calderon has been with the Raptors for his entire NBA career spanning 6 years, but knows that the addition of Lowry to the roster pushes him to back up position. Mark Bartelstein, agent for Calderon, has revealed that he is now
working very closely with Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo to find a trade destination for Calderon.
“There's a little bit of a logjam there in the backcourt now. Bryan and I are talking and we're putting our heads together to see what we can do to find a solution,” said Bartelstein.
The Raptors would ideally like to send Calderon to a team with cap space that can absorb his $10.6 million salary, creating a trade exception for Toronto. The Dallas Mavericks have shown interest in the Spaniard and have discussed
various trade options with the Raptors. However, they have put those talks to hold till they know how much they will have to bid to earn the services of veteran forward Elton Brand, who was amnestied by the Philadelphia 76ers and could be picked off waivers
by the highest bidding team amongst those that have cap space.
Dallas are reportedly quite interested in Brand. They are also planning to bid for Luis Scola in case the Houston Rockets go ahead with their plan to amnesty the forward in order to make cap space and directly engage in trade talks
with the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard.
Dallas needed a point guard after Jason Kidd and Jason Terry signed contracts elsewhere, but traded with the Indiana Pacers to land Darren Collison in a sign and trade that sent Ian Mahinmi to Indiana.
In a press conference to officially present Lowry as a Raptors member, Colangelo praised Calderon for his efforts and contributions to the Toronto Raptors.
“Jose has been a true professional in everything he's done for the organization. For now Jose is part of the team and we will welcome him back,” said Colangelo.
The Raptors can still absorb Calderon for the short term in case they are unable to find a suitable trade deal for him. He can back up Lowry at the point guard position and the Raptors can again attempt to trade him before the
trade deadline in February.
Tags: