Lakers waive Jose Calderon, who is expected to sign with Warriors

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, but the Los Angeles Lakers are still making moves. The team has waived veteran guard Jose Calderon, releasing a brief statement to announce the roster change.

The Golden State Warriors are expected to pick up the veteran as they round out their roster for another NBA Finals run, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

The Warriors recently let go of guard Briante Weber to clear a roster spot as they scoured the buyout market. If Calderon signs with Golden State before the March 1 deadline as expected, he will be eligible to play in the playoffs.

For the Lakers, this continues the theme of transactions that took place just before the trade deadline. Los Angeles parted ways with Lou Williams and Marcelo Huertas in two separate deals, bringing back Corey Brewer and Tyler Ennis in return, along with a 2017 first-round pick from the Houston Rockets. All of these moves allow head coach Luke Walton to allocate more minutes to the Lakers’ young players in the final 22 games of the season.

Out of the playoff hunt and praying for more lottery luck in May, new president of basketball operations Magic Johnson has made it clear that developing the young talent by giving them as many playing opportunities as possible is the priority for the remainder of the season.

Calderon was acquired by the Lakers last summer from the Chicago Bulls, along with two future second-round picks and played very limited minutes for the Lakers this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.1 assists in just 24 games.

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