CHICAGO — For days, the Warriors had an agreement in place with Jose Calderon. He’d take a $400,000 paycut to work out his release with the Lakers, then the Warriors would sign him for $452,000 into their open 15th roster spot.
But unpredictable things happen in sports and business. Kevin Durant got hurt a day before Calderon was set to sign. The Warriors suddenly needed a forward, not a guard, for that final roster spot. They mulled it over and decided they’d prefer to pick up Matt Barnes, not Calderon.
“That was difficult,” Steve Kerr said. “Jose got a buyout from the Lakers specifically to come to us.