Jose Calderon and Derrick Williams may be one of the best trades out there for the Pistons. Calderon, who has played for the Pistons before, would have one year left on his contract and would solve the backup point guard solution. Williams would also have one year left on his deal and can play as a stretch-4, or as a 3 in a bigger lineup.
Calderon is having a good season. He’s started all 44 games that he has played in this year. In roughly 28 minutes per game, Calderon is averaging 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He would instantly become one of the best shooters on the team with his 47.4 shooting percentage and a 42.1 three-point percentage.
Soaring Down South
Calderon, 34, has been strong offensively. He already has 2.0 offensive win shares this year, compared to 0.8 defensive win shares. He also has a 1.5 OBPM, which is up from his -0.5 OBPM last season. He has a 12.3 usage rate, so his 15.6 turnover rate is a cause for concern. But he counters it with a 21.3 assist percentage.
Williams would fit as a stretch-4 in Van Gundy’s system. He is an offensive player that uses his athleticism to drive to the basket and he can hit midrange jumpers. He doesn’t have a consistent three-point shot, hitting only 24.4 percent of his three-point shots.
He has 1.6 offensive win shares this year, which is set to shatter his 1.7 offensive win shares from all of last season. His 0.8 OBPM is the only positive OBPM rating of his career.
Calderon has a 13.3 PER and Williams has a 19.2 PER. Both are mentioned in a New York Post article from Dec. 13 article that says the Knicks were interested in Jennings. Mark Berman mentions trading Calderon and either another point guard or forward in return for Jennings. Having Calderon and Williams on reasonable contracts going into the 2016 offseason still allows the Pistons to target reserve players to add depth to their team.
ESPN’s Trade Machine predicts the Pistons would have a one-game improvement.
Next: Trade No. 5