Lakers Rumors: Should Jose Calderon Be on the Lakers Radar?

Chris Broussard of ESPN recently reported that the Los Angeles Lakers declined to accept an offer from the Minnesota Timber Wolves that would have sent forward Michael Beasley to the Lakers in exchange for a first-round draft pick.

If you are a Lakers fan, this means the franchise has suddenly turned into the Charlotte Bobcats when it comes to spending money to add players, or general manager Mitch Kupchak has other plans when it comes to improving the roster.

Beasley would have been an immediate offensive upgrade over the players currently masquerading as small forwards for the Lakers, but his addition would have failed to address the team's most pressing concern at point guard.

The Lakers certainly need scoring help specifically at the small forward position, but not at the expense of paying the luxury tax under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, unless that player is a point guard.

There have been numerous rumors concerning the Lakers and various guards from Ramon Sessions to Gilbert Arenas, but curiously Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon has not been part of the discussion.

Calderon will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and he has a skill set that the Lakers could desperately use right now.

Calderon's 8.9 assists per game average is nearly double what the Lakers have been getting from point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, and he has a niche for breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and creating scoring opportunities at the rim.

When was the last time anyone saw a Lakers point guard creating offense off the dribble?

Calderon also has great size at 6'3", and he shoots a respectable 46 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point range.

The Lakers could also benefit from the chemistry that Calderon has established with forward Pau Gasol from their time together on Spain's national team, and his addition could help breathe new life into Gasol's lethargic game.

More importantly Calderon is a player who could fit into the Lakers plans financially, and they would not likely have to disrupt their nucleus of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Gasol to acquire him.

Of course there are some negative aspects to consider with Calderon and his defense, or lack of is the most glaring. But point guard defense hs long been an issue with the Lakers, and Calderon's offensive talents may out-weigh his defensive liability.

Age is another concern since Calderon is 30 years old, but that shouldn't be an issue unless anyone considers him to be a long-term solution, which he is not.

But neither are any of the other players who have been mentioned as quick fixes to the Lakers' lead guard problems, outside of New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams, and if management is willing to consider a player like Arenas or Sessions, why not Calderon?

I don't think there is any player besides Williams who could immediately cure the Lakers ailments in the back court, but if the goal is a quick, inexpensive fix, then Calderon may be the best player available.