Last season, the New York Knicks traded for Jose Calderon to be the franchise point guard. The veteran was coming off a successful stint with the Dallas Mavericks and expected to be the right-hand man for Carmelo Anthony. However, Calderon spent more time injured than on the court, hurting his status with the Knicks. As a result, Langston Galloway had a breakout season in his rookie year following a start in the D-League. Now the question becomes whether or not Galloway can capitalize off the momentum.
According to Phil Jackson in an interview with Charley Rosen on ESPN.com, the franchise feels good about where Galloway ended the season and where he has the potential to grow in the coming year. Calderon returns while Jerian Grant was acquired in the draft meaning Galloway has some competition for the starting spot at point guard. Jackson admits he is comfortable with where the rotation is.
"We signed him to a non-guaranteed contract for next season, and he's projected as a combo 1-2 guard. After a terrific start when we called him up from the D-League, he's hit the wall and banged off it. But I still think he can be a productive player for us," Jackson said, via ESPN.com.
While Jackson admits he is comfortable with the point guard position, that did not stop the team from exploring other options. The team president admits the Knicks took serious interest in trade deals for Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson last season which were all denied at one point or another. The Knicks then eyed Ty Lawson when he became available with the Denver Nuggets during the NBA Draft, but opted not to make the move and selected Kristaps Porzingis instead.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, the Knicks are still exploring the trade market for Calderon and would easily pick up the phone if it rang about a deal. The market for the veteran is small considering his contract is not the ideal addition to a pay roll. Calderon has heard the rumors regarding his status with the Knicks and remains hopeful he can return this year and prove people wrong.
"In the NBA you are pretty confident but you are one phone call away from being somewhere else you've just got to be ready for everything," said Calderon, via ESPN.com. "I really want to be part of things because when you go through a bad season like we had last year you don't want to be out when the good things arrive."
Much of Calderon's future could be dictated by the development of Grant during the offseason. If both young players look successful while pairing with Anthony and Arron Afflalo, those trade rumors around the veteran could begin to get much louder.
