Jose Calderon has been one of the most-discussed trade candidates this season, as he continues to put up strong numbers (10.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 19.0 PER) for a Raptors team that remains 5.5 games out of the playoff hunt. While Calderon has dealt with trade rumors before, he recognizes that with his contract set to expire at season's end, trade chatter only figures to increase over the next few weeks.
"Maybe it’s going to be more than usual," Calderon said of the trade rumors, to RealGM's Michael Scotto. "It’s been usual for a while now for a few years."
Grantland's Zach Lowe is the latest to suggest that the Raptors ought to move Calderon before the deadline, breaking down the pros and cons provided by the Spaniard and fellow point guard Kyle Lowry before concluding that Lowry makes more sense for Toronto in the long run. If Raptors president Bryan Colangelo reaches the same conclusion, Calderon could be the subject of many trade talks over the next month, though the veteran point guard doesn't expect his agent to keep him apprised of the latest discussions.
"I prefer not to," said Calderon. "Unless if there is something he’s going to call, we’re going to talk about it. If he’s not calling, there’s a lot of things out there. He’s better just to leave it there and don’t talk about it because at the end of the day there’s nothing good, it’s just rumors."
With unrestricted free agency awaiting him this summer, it won't be long before Calderon will have the ability to determine his own future. However, he tells Scotto that it's still too early to be looking ahead to that decision.
"I think it’s too soon," said Calderon. "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if I’m going to get traded or not because of my contract situation. Let’s see what happens when we finish the season. I think the summer is going to be the time to think about it, all the pros and cons, in every situation."
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explored Calderon's trade candidacy earlier this month.