New York Knicks: Jose Calderon Staying Put, For Now

By Kaveh Jam | Aug 22, 2015

Dec 21, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jose Calderon (3) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson (15) defends at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors won 118-108. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

When Jose Calderon arrived in New York last summer, the franchise had high hopes that he could step into the void the team had been dealing with at point guard. The 6-foot-3 Spanish playmaker had established a reputation as a pure shooter and precision passer, able to ignite and facilitate an offense. This appeared to be an ideal remedy for a sputtering Knick attack.

But two things derailed that result. Calderon put up career-low numbers across the board since coming off the bench in his first two seasons for the Toronto Raptors. Most of it can be attributed to a nagging Achilles injury that effectively ended his season prematurely.

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Meanwhile the Knicks sputtered—most notably struggling to acclimate to the newly implemented triangle offense and holding a talent disadvantage practically every night.

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Earlier this week, the Knicks were reported as one of several teams interested in acquiring former Knick and former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford. With the Los Angeles Clippers’ sudden glut of wing players, it would make sense if Crawford completed his due diligence by seeing what other opportunities can be afforded to him.

It would also appear conceivable that he would have several suitors given his late career productivity.

Calderon’s name has been floating around as a potential trade piece for Crawford. In fact, the Knicks have been trying to unload Calderon since at least the beginning of the calendar year, according to Yahoo Sports.

Calderon’s contract has been mentioned as a major deterrent for teams who not surprisingly shy away from the remaining $15 million for an aging point guard with an Achilles injury on his resume.

The rumblings from this week were quickly suppressed by ESPN New York who reported that no trade is imminent.

FWIW: On that Jose Calderon tweet, league sources said earlier this morning that no trade involving the #Knicks point guard was imminent.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 19, 2015

Nothing shocking here. It would actually be more of a surprise if the Knicks found a coherent general manager that would allow New York to unload Calderon on them. But even as it stands, the team is coming off a solid summer of adding a youthful mixture of new faces and will enter training camp free from crippling contracts—a rare occasion.

By all accounts, Calderon is fully healthy and should reap some benefits from the Knicks miniature rebuild.

Its conceivable he could improve on his averages of nine points and 4.7 assists from last season. The addition of Jerian Grant at point guard will level off his minutes and alleviate some pressure as well. A full season of Calderon won’t push the Knicks over the top. Not even close.

But he’s another piece of the puzzle for a new-look New York team looking to rinse away the bitter taste of last season.

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