Lakers Reportedly Agree to Contract Buyout with Jose Calderon

The Los Angeles Lakers and veteran point guard Jose Calderon have reportedly agreed to a buyout that would make him a free agent, the Lakers announced on Tuesday. 

ESPN's Marc Stein was the first to report the news on Feb. 25. 

Stein added that the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are top candidates to sign the 35-year-old Spaniard if he hits the open market.

According to Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher, the Dubs would prefer to sign Calderon over former Golden State center Andrew Bogut if given the choice.

Calderon is in his first season with the Lakers and is averaging career lows with 3.3 points and 2.1 assists per game in 24 contests.

He spent parts of eight campaigns with the Toronto Raptors before short stints as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks.

The three-time Olympic medalist boasts career averages of 9.7 points and 6.3 assists per game, along with an .875 free-throw percentage.

Calderon has struggled to see the floor with regularity in 2016-17 behind the likes of D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Marcelo Huertas on L.A.'s depth chart.

The Lakers dealt Huertas to the Rockets prior to Thursday's trade deadline, but point guard Tyler Ennis came back the other way.

With so many young point guards on the roster and little incentive to play veterans due to a 19-41 record and the fact that their first-round pick is top-three protected, the Lakers no longer have a need for Calderon.

Although he has dropped off dramatically from the player he was during his time with the Raptors, he is a quality backup with a ton of NBA experience.

Because of that, a team with championship aspirations such as the Warriors or Rockets would likely benefit from adding him to the roster.