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Cavaliers Hire Jose Calderon As Special Advisor

January 14th, 2022 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

11:42am: The Cavaliers have officially announced the hiring of Calderon, stating in a press release that he’ll be a special advisor to the front office. The announcement doesn’t offer many specifics on Calderon’s role, noting that he’ll “assist the front office achieve their goals both on and off the court in a variety of engagements.”

“We are thrilled to add someone of Jose Calderon’s background and experience to our front office,” Altman said in a statement. “His accomplishments as a basketball player and familiarity with our organization will be invaluable. We look forward to his insights and perspective on how we can continue moving this team forward and enhancing our efforts towards sustainable and long-term success here in Cleveland.”

11:02am: The Cavaliers are hiring Jose Calderon to a position in their front office, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A longtime NBA point guard, Calderon appeared in 895 regular season games for seven teams from 2005-19, averaging 8.9 PPG and 5.8 APG on .472/.407/.873 shooting in 26.4 MPG. The Spaniard spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons with the Raptors before bouncing around the league during the second half of his career, spending time with the Pistons (twice, Mavericks, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, and Cavaliers.

Calderon also earned three Olympics medals (two silvers and a bronze) with Spain and won a gold medal while playing for his country during the 2006 FIBA World Cup.

When he retired as a player in 2019, Calderon accepted a role with the National Basketball Players Association, serving as a special assistant to executive director Michele Roberts. Roberts retired from her NBPA position this month, though it’s unclear if Calderon’s departure from the players’ union was related to Roberts’ exit.

Back in 2019, a number of teams reportedly contacted Calderon about possible front office jobs, but he preferred to stay flexible and consider his options. Now, he’s now poised to join a Cavs front office led by Koby Altman, whose first year as general manager coincided with Calderon’s lone season in Cleveland as a player.

According to Basketball-Reference, signing Calderon was Altman’s first official move as the Cavs’ GM. Four-and-a-half years later, it appears adding Calderon to his basketball operations department will be Altman’s first move after receiving an extension and a promotion from the franchise.

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Jose Calderon Ready To Retire, Joins NBPA

November 4th, 2019 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

When a report in August indicated that veteran NBA point guard Jose Calderon was contemplating retirement, the Spaniard quickly came out and shot it down. Calderon said at the time that he intended to continue his playing career and later told HoopsHype that he was “just waiting” for another NBA opportunity.

However, with the 2019/20 NBA season underway and no doors having opened for Calderon, the 38-year-old sounds like he’s prepared to call it a career, as Ben Golliver of The Washington Post details.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be happy with the role that I had last year. I wasn’t playing, just helping and traveling the same amount. I was starting to miss my family a lot,” Calderon said. “I was watching a game the other day and I didn’t wish I was playing, which makes everything easier. When is the right time to say that this is it? [My retirement] is not official, but it’s almost. It’s about time. Maybe in the next couple of weeks I’ll make an official announcement and file the papers.”

As Calderon considers making his retirement decision official, he has taken on an off-court role with the National Basketball Players Association. According to Golliver, Michele Roberts, the NBPA’s executive director, hired Calderon as a special assistant this fall.

“I’ve always been sensitive to the absence of players at our New York headquarters,” Roberts told Golliver. “This is the Players Association. It’s kind of silly that it’s being run in large part by a bunch of lawyers and people with master’s degrees. I’m in regular contact with players, but it’s nice to have a body here so that I’m not calling a player who is in the middle of his game day nap or talking to someone who is so removed from the game that maybe their perspective is a little bit dated.”

As Golliver writes, Calderon heard from multiple NBA teams about possible front office positions this offseason, and was contacted by the league office as well. However, the longtime NBA point guard wanted to take on a flexible position that would allow him to test the waters and juggle his other responsibilities, including his charity work.

“I didn’t want to commit to a front office job and decide in three months that I wasn’t built for it,” Calderon said. “I didn’t have a dream job because I wasn’t sure what the best fit for me would be. That’s why this is a perfect transition role. I can touch a little bit of everything from basketball operations to finance to the international part, so that I can decide what I really like for the future.”

Assuming this is it for Calderon, he’ll retire with 895 career regular season games – and another 40 postseason appearances – under his belt for the Raptors, Pistons, Mavericks, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, and Cavaliers. For his NBA career, the former undrafted free agent has averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.8 APG with an impressive .472/.407/.873 shooting line. He also played professionally in Spain for seven seasons before making his NBA debut in 2005.

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Jose Calderon “Just Waiting” For NBA Opportunity

September 18th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran free agent point guard Jose Calderon, who shot down a report last month that he was contemplating retirement, tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype that he’s staying in shape and is “just waiting” for a potential NBA opportunity.

“I feel really good. I feel healthy and I think I can still help one of those teams, so let’s see what happens in the next couple of weeks and see if something comes up,” Calderon said. “…. Right now, I’m just waiting and working out and [hopefully] I can do training camp. We’ll see what happens.”

According to Calderon, there were a couple instances earlier in the offseason where he was close to signing with an NBA team. He wasn’t the “first option” in either case though, and each team decided to go in another direction.

Although the Spaniard, who will turn 38 later this month, was quick to deny that recent report that he was weighing retirement, he acknowledged to Kennedy that if he doesn’t get a training camp invite, he has to consider whether he wants to keep working out and staying in shape during the season. Calderon said it would be “really hard” to stay in NBA shape for three or four months just in case he gets an opportunity down the road.

“Right now, I’m going to keep working really hard and stay positive that somebody will call in the next two or three weeks,” he told Kennedy. “But if not, I think I need to sit with my family and my agency and just make a decision and [consider] what the chances really are of something happening or not, and we’ll decide something after that.”

Calderon admitted that he has been thinking about his possible next move if he isn’t able to keep playing, but he has yet to decide on a potential path. According to Kennedy, the 14-year veteran mentioned a front office role, a broadcasting gig, or a position with the NBA or NBPA as avenues that might be of interest to him.

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Jose Calderon Intends To Continue Career

August 28th, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

12:38pm: Responding to Ortiz’s report, Calderon published a tweet today declaring that he’s still waiting on an NBA offer and is continuing to train and focus on staying in shape for the upcoming season.

8:35am: Veteran point guard Jose Calderon is contemplating retirement, writes Javier Ortiz of El Periodico Extermadura (hat tip to EuroHoops). According to Ortiz, Calderon has been unable to secure a deal with an NBA team this summer and has little interest in continuing his career in Europe or Asia.

As Ortiz outlines, Calderon – who spent the 2018/19 season with the Pistons – entered the offseason intent on working out and training to stay in shape. However, after returning from a trip to Lebanon earlier this month, he decided not to resume his usual training regimen and is now focused on spending more time with his family, per Ortiz.

The NBA’s group of free agent point guards has thinned out considerably, with Jeremy Lin the latest veteran to come off the board. As such, it’s still possible that a team in need of some veteran depth will look to bring Calderon aboard for 2019/20, particularly once clubs start getting hit by injuries this fall. For now though, it looks as though the Spaniard might not return for a 15th NBA season.

In 895 career regular season games with the Raptors, Pistons, Mavericks, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, and Cavaliers, Calderon has averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.8 APG with an impressive .472/.407/.873 shooting line. The point guard, who will turn 38 next month, played sparingly in Detroit last season, appearing in 49 games and recording career lows in PPG (2.3), FG% (.375), and MPG (12.9), among other categories.

Calderon also played professionally in Spain for seven seasons before making his NBA debut in 2005.

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Central Notes: Maker, Evans, Pistons, Osman

March 22nd, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thon Maker has given the Pistons an energetic boost since he was acquired from the Bucks in a three-team swap at the trade deadline, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

The 7-footer fell out of Milwaukee’s rotation, but has proven to be a solid backup for Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The Pistons outscored Phoenix by 20 points when Maker was on the court Thursday, as he scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots in 28 minutes.

“He’s been great,” Griffin said of his Pistons teammate. “Just his energy, man. He’s just always everywhere. And if he’s not blocking shots, he’s swinging for the fences. It’s making people think and it’s making people be aware of where he is.”

Maker will make a guaranteed $3.57MM next season and will be eligible for a rookie scale extension with the Pistons prior to opening night.

We have more from around the Central Division:

  • Pacers swingman Tyreke Evans admits it’s been a roller-coaster season for him, Scott Agness of The Athletic reports. Evans has battled injuries, a bout with food poisoning and the tragic death of a nephew during the course of the season. Evans’ playing time has dropped dramatically from last season, when he averaged 19.4 PPG for Memphis in 52 games. He’ll return to the free agent market after signing a one-year, $12.4MM contract from Indiana. “Yeah, it’s tough,” he told Agness. “Everybody knows what type of player I am. (Since) I got drafted, I’m better with the ball in my hands. I’m a team player and just want to win this late in my career.”
  • D’Angelo Russell‘s breakthrough season with the Nets after the Lakers gave up on him illustrates why the Pistons explored trades for young point guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Markelle Fultz prior to the trade deadline, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons will likely continue to pursue a young point guard during the offseason, since starter Reggie Jackson has one more season left on his contract and reserves Ish Smith and Jose Calderon will be unrestricted free agents, Ellis adds.
  • Forward Cedi Osman is considered part of the Cavaliers’ future core, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports in his latest mailbag. The team could sign Osman to an extension this summer but there hasn’t been any talk of doing that yet, Fedor continues. However, he’s a front-office favorite and has made positive strides in recent months. He’s shown signs of being more than just a bench rotation player and his 3-point shooting has improved, Fedor adds.
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Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Central Division

March 16th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Central Division:

Wayne Selden, Bulls, 24, SG (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $2.86MM deal in 2017
Selden was part of the Justin Holiday deal with the Grizzlies in January. He could be a restricted free agent if Chicago chooses to extend a $1.93MM qualifying offer. Selden hasn’t done anything to convince the front office to retain his rights. He had an 18-point game in a blowout loss to Detroit on Sunday but he’s mostly been a non-factor off the bench. He’s posted a minus 4.5 Box Plus/Minus Rating, according to Basketball-Reference, which runs parallel to his career rating.

David Nwaba, Cavaliers, 26, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in 2018
Injuries and a lack of production have made this a ho-hum season for Nwaba, who is playing for his third team in three years. He’s had occasional outbursts, such as a 22-point outing against Brooklyn this month, but has otherwise done little to dent the stat sheet. He can be a restricted free agent if the front office extends a low-cost $1.89MM qualifying offer. The cash-strapped Cavs will probably decline that option unless they see him as a rotation piece going forward.

Jose Calderon, Pistons, 37, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.39MM deal in 2018
Calderon has carved out a nice, long NBA career that began in the 2005/06 season with Toronto. He rejoined his former Raptors coach, Dwane Casey, in Detroit as a third-string point guard after some good moments in Cleveland last season. It hasn’t gone well. Father Time has clearly caught up to Calderon, who was exposed when primary backup Ish Smith was sidelined by a adductor injury. This is likely Calderon’s last hurrah, though he could remain in the league as a coach if he so chooses.

Thaddeus Young, Pacers, 30, PF (Up) — Signed to a four-year, $54MM deal in 2015
A steady, durable big man, Young has been a consistent contributor throughout his career. This year might be best, reinforcing his value in a walk year. His Box Plus/Minus rating on Basketball-Reference is a career-best 3.1 and coach Nate McMillan has flowed with praise over Young’s play and leadership. Young doesn’t post big numbers, but he fills the stat sheet and provides intangibles that endears him to teammates and coaches. He should receive another pricey, multiyear offer this summer.

Malcolm Brogdon, Bucks, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.78MM deal in 2016
An unlikely Rookie of the Year recipient after getting drafted in the second round, Brogdon has taken his play up a level or two after an injury-marred sophomore campaign. Starting for the current top seed in the East, Brogdon is averaging 15.6 PPG on 50.5% overall shooting. He’s a 42.6% shooter from distance and is virtually automatic at the free throw line (92.8%). He also rebounds well for his position and facilitates the offense (3.2 APG). Brogdon will be a restricted free agent and the Bucks may have to match a big offer sheet to retain him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Central Notes: Kennard, Dunn, Asik, Evans

October 26th, 2018 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach Dwane Casey will use a variety of players to replace reserve guard Luke Kennard, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Kennard suffered a separated shoulder against Cleveland on Thursday and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Rookies Bruce Brown, Khyri Thomas and Zach Lofton along with Glenn Robinson III and Jose Calderon will take turns filling up Kennard’s rotation minutes until he returns.

“It’ll be matchup driven,” Casey said of the Pistons’ plans to fill Kennard’s minutes. “Glenn does a good job of chasing guys. Some guys have trouble against length. That will be Glenn. But Bruce, he’s capable of really guarding a lot of different people. Khyri Thomas, too. Luke going down is an opportunity for Khyri, Jose to be ready. … That’s why we have 15 on the roster. We’ll have to make a decision whether we want to bring up (two-way player) Zach Lofton. This is why you stay ready for your opportunity.”

We have more from around the Central Division:

  • Bulls point guard Kris Dunn had no idea how badly he injured his knee until he returned home from Dallas, according to Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago. Dunn will be out 4-6 weeks with an MCL sprain in his left knee. He originally thought it was just a bruise but the pain increased on the flight home on Monday and the knee locked up on him when he returned home. An MRI the next morning revealed the severity of the injury. “I think it’s unlucky. It comes with the game,” Dunn said. “I can either cry about it or try to work my way around it. I’m going to stay positive, be a man about it.”
  • The Bulls decided not to use the stretch provision on the $3MM guarantee for Omer Asik‘s 2019 salary, ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirms (Twitter link). Chicago ate the approximately $11.3MM owed to Asik this season and waived him over the weekend. The team could have chosen to stretch out the $3MM guarantee for next season over a three-year period. However, the $3MM cap hit could be erased entirely if the 32-year-old Asik is deemed medically ineligible to play. Asik is out indefinitely with inflammatory arthritis.
  • Tyreke Evans will sit out Saturday’s game against Cleveland for violating team rules, the Pacers announced in a press release. Evans, who signed a one-year, $12MM contract as a free agent this summer, said that he was late for practice and expressed remorse. “This is the most professional and team-oriented organization I have been with in my career,” he said. “They deserve my best every day and I am disappointed in myself for causing a distraction that prevents me from being able to help my team tomorrow. I will do better.”
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And-Ones: Long, LiAngelo Ball, Spain

September 3rd, 2018 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ex-Sixers forward Shawn Long has signed a contract with New Zealand Breakers, according to a Sportando report. Long played 18 games with Philadelphia in 2016/2017, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 13 MPG. He toiled in the G League last season with the Delaware 87ers, averaging 14.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG in 33 games following a seven-game stint in China. The Timberwolves took a look at Long during a free agent mini-camp in June.

We have more from around the pro basketball world:

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Calderon, Pachulia Ideal Fits In Detroit

August 1st, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by clarkcrum

While it’s no guarantee that either player will crack new head coach Dwane Casey‘s rotation, both newly-acquired veterans Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia are ideal fits to complement the Pistons‘ roster, opines Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

“They can still play an NBA basketball game. They can contribute,” says senior advisor Ed Stefanski. “But if they don’t play one night, they’re not going to be moping in the locker room. They’re going to be ready to play all the time and they’re going to help these young guys become professionals.”

With both Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith returning this season, Calderon is not likely to see much time at the point guard position. However, given Calderon’s size (6’3”) and ability to shoot from long range (career 41.1% 3-point shooter), it will be interesting to see whether Calderon could play along Jackson or Smith, especially when two rookies – Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown – are likely to be relied upon for reserve shooting guard minutes.

As for Pachulia, he seems to be firmly rooted as a reserve center behind starter Andre Drummond and backups Jon Leuer and Henry Ellenson. But, with an 82-game season to play, injuries could very well force the 34-year-old Georgian big man into more minutes.

“I’m very excited about our two veterans in Pachulia and Calderon,” Stefanski added. “Both winners in the NBA. Both have won championships. Both – if you talk to people in the league – they’re as good a guys as you’re going to get, as professional as you’re going to get.”

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Central Notes: LaVine, Pacers, Cavaliers, Calderon

July 10th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by clarkcrum

Fresh off the Bulls officially matching the Kings’ fully guaranteed, four-year $78MM offer sheet to Zach LaVine, the 23-year-old combo guard says he is ready to prove all of the doubters wrong who wonder whether he is worth the nearly $80MM in guaranteed money that he will earn from the Bulls, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“I’m my hardest critic,” LaVine said Sunday during the Bulls’ summer league game against the Lakers in Las Vegas. “There’s nothing that any of you guys can say to me that I [don’t] take harder upon myself. I go back and critique my game every year. I’m used to people sleeping on me, and I’m also used to waking them up as well. I’m happy that I have this contract, and I’m happy that I have a little extra motivation to go out there and prove it to some people that don’t believe in me.”

“At the end of the day, I believe in myself, I believe in my work, and I’m going to show the city of Chicago it’s a good choice and I’m here to stay. I’m going to be their guy, and I’m ready to do whatever to help this team get back to that spot.”

And despite saying publicly that he was disappointed the Bulls hadn’t done more to lock him in as a restricted free agent when the free-agency period opened, LaVine backtracked from those comments after the deal with the Bulls became official, saying that he simply meant he never wanted to sign an offer sheet because he wanted to stay in Chicago so badly.

“I think a lot of that got taken out of context,” LaVine said. “The main thing that I wanted to get my point across was I wanted to just deal with Chicago. I never wanted to get [to] a point of [having to sign] an offer sheet. Regardless of whatever happened, I’m going to put that behind us. I’m happy as hell that I’m going to be able to play for the team that I want to play for.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Pacers found unexpected success this past season and the front office deserves credit for avoiding complacency, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines. Indiana brought in Kyle O’Quinn, Tyreke Evans, and Doug McDermott on mid-sized deals, all moves designed to help them compete in a now-weakened Eastern Conference.
  • The Cavaliers, who are still searching for another assistant coach on head coach Tyronn Lue‘s bench, interviewed Warriors assistant coach Willie Green and Sixers assistant coach John Bryant recently, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Green has since re-upped with Golden State.
  • Because he signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, Jose Calderon likely could have chosen to play wherever he wanted to this upcoming season, opines Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. But he ended up picking the Pistons simply because he believes they can be a good team. And although he’ll likely slot in behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith on the depth chart, it’s possible new coach Dwane Casey could play two point guards at the same time, thereby opening up playing time for Calderon.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

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