The Los Angeles Lakers announced that the team has waived veteran backup point guard Jose Calderon, which hardly came as a shock considering the 35-year-old had been rumored to be a target for the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors. The Spaniard expects to join the Warriors as a third point guard on the roster.
Calderon only appeared in 24 games for the purple and gold, and nearly half of those appearances came in the form of starting as a replacement for injured point guard D'Angelo Russell. When Russell was healthy, Calderon did not figure in the team's primary plans for the vast majority of the season.
With 22 games remaining on a season headed for the NBA lottery and Calderon's contract due to expire in the summer, the Lakers seemingly obliged and provided the career 41.1 percent three-point shooter the walking papers he seeked.
Calderon's agent thanked Earvin "Magic" Johnson for negotiating the buy out, and now, the veteran point guard can join the Warriors' super team that most of the basketball world expects to win the title.
With Calderon off the roster, the Lakers' only had 14 players, so one roster spot was suddenly available. LA could potentially sign a free agent, promote a player from their NBA D-League affiliate or do absolutely nothing. While having an extra empty roster spot can be an asset, that function doesn't apply after the trade deadline has passed.
The team opted to mine the D-Fenders and will sign, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports, guard David Nwaba to a 10-day contract.
Nwaba is only 23 and lists Los Angeles as his home town. He attended University High School before going to Santa Monica College and transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In his first year as a professional, Nwaba started 29 of the 38 games he's played for the LA D-Fenders, which will change their name to the South Bay Lakers at the end of the season.
The 6'4" guard averages 13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game with the D-Fenders and, well, is a guard that can seemingly play defense in a league that is not known for its defense.
Currently, the Lakers are not exactly known for their defensive abilities, so getting a guard that can defend while also shooting a high percentage from the field (64.5 percent), even if he rarely attempts three-pointers (0.1 per game), sounds like an enticing proposition.
With Nick Young, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers already have three guards that freely launch three-pointers. If Nwaba can come in and guard perimeter players, though, he can provide the Lakers with a skill that is desperately lacking on the roster.
In addition to Nwaba, the team also added 22-year-old point guard Tyler Ennis at the trade deadline in exchange for Marcelo Huertas. With Ennis and Nwaba, Lakers coach Luke Walton has a chance to test a couple of young guards to see if either is worth bringing back after the summer.
Notes: The Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night at Staples Center.
