Jose Calderon Waived by Warriors Shortly After Agreeing to Contract

The Golden State Warriors signed point guard Jose Calderon on Wednesday after he agreed to a buyout with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to the team's public relations department.

However, Calderon never got the chance to suit up for the defending Western Conference champions. The team announced Kevin Durant suffered an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left leg on Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, and his injury created a need for a versatile small forward.

With that in mind, the Warriors confirmed that they waived the Spaniard two hours after they signed him.

The Warriors are now expected to sign Matt Barnes—who posted a picture on Instagram indicating he is headed to the Bay Area—to fill their open roster spot:

Calderon was initially acquired by the Lakers in a July 2016 trade with the Chicago Bulls, but he was scarcely used by the Purple and Gold.

Not only did Calderon battle hamstring issues, but head coach Luke Walton understandably hesitated to sprinkle him into the rotation with youngsters like D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson in need of extra reps.

In 24 appearances with the Lakers, Calderon averaged a meager 3.3 points and 2.1 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. However, Calderon's per-36-minute production suggests he still has enough left in the tank to be a solid tertiary contributor.

Viewed through that adjusted statistical prism, Calderon averaged a respectable 9.9 points and 6.3 dimes while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three.

But at this stage in his career, Calderon is likely nothing more than an insurance policy for the team that does eventually sign him to a deal for the remainder of the season.

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in Calderon as a backcourt addition behind Dennis Schroder and Malcolm Delaney.

Now that Calderon has been cut loose by the Warriors, he will have to go through the waiver process and wait another 48 hours before latching on with a new team.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.