By Chris Broussard and Marc Stein In a surprise development on the first day that NBA teams and agents could start talking about new contracts, Tyson Chandler came away convinced that his time with the Dallas Mavericks is coming to an end. "I really think I'm going to be on a new team come training camp," Chandler told ESPN.com in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "I'm really taking a hard look at all of my options, trying to see what best suits me." Chandler Chandler Chandler's doubts about the Mavericks' willingness to re-sign him to a lucrative long-term deal will be welcome news for organizations throughout the league. Chandler and Denver center Nene rank as the two most coveted unrestricted free agents in the 2011 class, but the overwhelming sentiment in many front offices has been that Chandler's return to Dallas was essentially a done deal after the 7-footer's role in helping the Mavericks win their first championship. Chandler, though, insisted Wednesday that such assumptions are a misnomer and admitted for the first time that he's disappointed by the club's decision not to offer him a contract extension after he was widely credited -- most notably by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki -- for changing the team's defensive culture after three first-round exits in the previous four years. Chandler maintains that staying in Dallas has been his first choice, but he expressed disappointment that the communication between the sides was minimal from the end of the NBA Finals in mid-June and the June 30 deadline for extensions. NBA front office sources list New Jersey, Golden State, Houston and Toronto as the teams chasing Chandler hardest. The Mavericks have likewise long maintained that bringing Chandler back is their No. 1 offseason priority. But sources with knowledge of club's thinking have told ESPN.com this month that management fears trying to match the offers Chandler gets on the open market -- even if Dallas' other free agents, such as Caron Butler and J.J. Barea are all let go -- will leave them with about $5-6 million in salary-cap space in the summer of 2012. That's when the Mavericks had hoped to be under the cap for the first time in the Mark Cuban era to join the free agent bidding for Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Dallas-area native Deron Williams. As one of the league's oldest teams, Dallas needs the injection of youth that a perimeter scorer like Williams could provide. The Mavs' quandary, however, is that the presence of Nowitzki alone on the roster in July 2012 might not be enough to tempt the league's top free agents. One source close to Williams, for example, says it's unlikely that the New Jersey Nets' point guard would consider signing with the Mavericks unless he was joining both Nowitzki and Chandler. The Mavs' counter is that, with Nowitzki and Chandler on the books, they won't have enough money to sign Williams outright and would be forced to rely on striking a complicated sign-and-trade arrangement. Chandler, for his part, says he hopes to know where his home will be soon, even though the league announced Tuesday that teams and players can't strike written or verbal agreements before the officially scheduled start of free agency on Dec. 9. "I would like this to be settled by early next week," Chandler said. "I want to be in camp with my new teammates as soon as possible." Earlier Wednesday, Cuban told ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan: "We are going through and digesting all the new rules and waiting on others. Once everything is in place we will have a far better idea on what we can and can't do. In the meanwhile, we certainly are going to be talking to everyone's agent." Chandler, 29, was acquired by the Mavericks in July 2010 in a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats co-headlined by Erick Dampier, but was widely billed as a consolation prize after Dampier's cap-friendly contract failed to get Dallas in the bidding for the league's marquee free agents -- Miami stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh among them -- through various sign-and-trade offers. In the final year of his contract, Chandler wound up meshing with Nowitzki better than anyone anticipated, supplying length, athleticism, rim protection and a brand of vocal leadership that no big man who previously lined up alongside the eventual NBA Finals MVP had ever provided in Dallas. Chandler wound up playing in 74 regular season games -- after missing nearly 70 games over the previous two seasons through injury -- and finished third in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting. In the Western Conference finals, Chandler helped Dallas to a 4-1 series win over the same Oklahoma City Thunder team that traded for him in February 2009 and then rescinded the trade one day later because of concerns about a toe injury. Senior writer Chris Broussard covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story...ks-says-expects-a-new-team-come-training-camp
A defending championship team is willing to give up its center just to make a run at 2012 free agency...
sam_amick Sam Amick Chandler clearly expects huge payday. I was told today that the type of $ figures his camp threw out there today were through the roof.
I hope he ends up here or Golden State. Wouldn't be surprised to see him with the Nets though. If he came to Houston, I might rethink my stance on tanking.
http://twitter.com/ESPN_Caplan/statuses/142064586974167042 I got to be honest though. While I like Chandler and probably would be happy if the Rockets were to land him, I do have somewhat mixed feelings about the prospect of signing him. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a very good player, but he comes with injury risk and will likely will get overpaid.
Time to raid the Mavericks FA's...... Clippers reach out to free agent Caron Butler November 30, 2011 The Clippers, in the market for a small forward, have reached out to free agent Caron Butler, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday night. Butler played in only 29 games last season during the Dallas Mavericks' championship run because of a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee that required surgery. Those close to Butler said the 32-year-old, 6-foot-7 small forward is healthy. He averaged 15 points on 45% shooting, including 43.1% from three-point range, last season. Butler has averaged 16.6 points on 44.1% shooting (31.9% from three-point range) over his nine-year career. Butler made $10.5 million last season in the final year of his deal. Neil Olshey, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations, would not comment on free agents Wednesday. But Olshey did say small forward is a position at which the Clippers need to improve. "I think when you look at things within a vacuum, I think that that's the position that we have the biggest question mark at," Olshey said. The Clippers also contacted free-agent small forward Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons. -- Broderick Turner http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spo...ers-reach-out-to-free-agent-caron-butler.html
This. Funny to think that he would actually be the second OLDEST player on the Rockets. (I will always remember him as the high school kid who came out of California in that crap-tastic 2001 NBA Draft.) Much like Nene, I would LOVE to have Chandler on this team . . . at a reasonable price. But, seeing as how both of those guys would rather get overpaid (and who can blame them?), I think you can count the Rockets out as a realistic alternative for those guys. Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, David Andersen and cash.
LOL at Morey being shut down by Chandler and Nene. Bosh and Carmelo I can understand but really? It seems like no one wants to talk to Morey LOL.
Who said anything about not TALKING to Morey? If the Rockets wanted to, they could probably make the moves necessary to offer either Nene or Chandler the kind of money they are looking for. It would take a couple of salary dumps (in addition to amnesty cutting Thabeet) to do so, but they could conceivably do it. I think BOTH parties are interested in the proposition of each player playing in Houston. The point is that the ROCKETS are the party that is not interested in paying the asking price.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/dallas/play?id=7290752 Ben & Skin: Marc Stein ESPN NBA analyst Marc Stein dishes on the end of the lockout, and how the Mavs' roster will look like on Christmas Day. ------------------------------------------------- They discuss Tyson Chandler's FA....
This would be good. I would be extremely happy with either Nene or Chandler. If we acquire Chandler we should Keep Scola and let Hayes walk or if we get Nene we should trade Scola. Amnesty Thabeet's ass to make room for them.
I hope Dallas overpays him. He overachieved last year because he wants a new contract. He's like Erick Dampier minus 7 years.
