Mavericks’ Chandler to make business decision during free agency
At his age, there’s a good chance Tyson Chandler won’t be giving the Dallas Mavericks a hometown discount just so he can finish his basketball career in the Metroplex.
Chandler becomes an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, and the 14-year veteran will be 33 years old when training camp opens next fall. Thus, the 7-foot-1 center knows this could be the last big contract he’ll receive during his career.
“Business is business,” Chandler said. “At the end of the day, I get it. The franchise has to make the best decision for the franchise.
“Of course, you know I feel like I can go — I’ve still got a lot to give. But at the end of the day I feel like I’ll make the best decision for myself and my family, and the Mavericks will make the best decision for the organization.”
In 2011, approximately six months after he helped the Mavs win their lone NBA title, Chandler failed to come to terms with Dallas on a new contract when he became a highly sought-after free agent. In a three-team deal, the Mavs eventually traded Chandler to the Knicks, who signed him to a four-year contract worth $58 million.
The Mavs then reacquired Chandler from the Knicks in a trade last June. And now, a little over a year later, the Mavs and Chandler are back where they were some four seasons ago — staring the ugly business of free agency squarely in the eye.
Chandler, though, figures the stakes aren’t exactly the same this time around.
“It’s different because [the last free agency period] was the lockout [season] and you really couldn’t start talking to teams until the lockout was lifted [in early December of 2011],” Chandler said. “And then all of a sudden everything just started flying in as soon as the word was coming in.
“This is different because after the championship I was just chilling during the lockout and enjoying [life]. Now, my mind kind of just is all over the place, kind of wondering what’s going to happen trying to picture myself in different situations.”
While Chandler is among a short list of free-agent centers the Mavs have interest in — along with DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers and Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies — Chandler is high on the free-agent list of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks’ head coach is Jason Kidd, who teamed with Chandler in 2011 in assisting the Mavs to the championship.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Chandler said. “But obviously that’s a huge honor because I spent two years in the locker room with [Kidd].
“And for him to want to pursue me means that he thinks highly of me. He’s a future Hall of Famer, and that’s humbling.”
Forward Dirk Nowitzki signed a hometown-discounted free-agent contract — three years and $25 million — with the Mavericks last summer. He doesn’t have an iron-clad feeling on whether be believes the Mavericks will re-sign Chandler.
“I don’t know what numbers he’s looking for, and I don’t know what years he’s looking for to finish out his career,” Nowitzki said. “I’ve never gotten involved in that.
“He knows I love him. We’ll always be family. We won a championship together. But with numbers and business, that is not my forte.”
Nowitzki’s forte, admirably, is knowing who did and didn’t contribute to the Mavs’ cause. And he knows when it comes to contributions to the Mavs, Chandler was near the top of the list.
“I think Tyson’s done phenomenal things for us in the two years he’s been here,” Nowitzki said. “He’s a great locker room leader.
“It’s obvious we want him back, but in free agency you just never know. Anything is possible. We would have loved to have kept him after the championship, but things didn’t work out, and then we brought him back.”
Even Chandler, at this stage of the game, hasn’t gotten a vibe one way or another about his chances of returning to the Mavs.
“To be quite honest I really think everything at this point is almost 50-50,” Chandler said. “Of course, I love playing here.
“But it has to be right.”
Translation: Chandler has to dutifully weigh playing for a legitimate title contender versus receiving his market value. And that is never an easy proposition.
“It all has to be right, it all has to feel right,” Chandler said. “Honestly, that’s what it comes down to.
“I’ll see what’s out there. After that I’ll make the best decision for myself and for my family.”
Chandler averaged 10.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting a robust 66.6 percent from the field in 30.5 minutes per game. He finished tied for 14th in the league in double-doubles with 31.
“I thought he had a great year for us last year leadership-wise and stats-wise,” Nowitzki said. “He’s a good friend, we’ll always be friends, and we’d love to have him back.
“But like I said, free agency is a weird, weird period. Nobody can see ahead.”
Dwain Price, 817-390-7760
Big targets
The top five free-agent centers:
Player | Current team | 2014-15 stats |
Tyson Chandler | Mavericks | 10.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 31 double-doubles |
Marc Gasol | Grizzlies | 17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg |
DeAndre Jordan | LA Clippers | 11.5 ppg, 15 rpg, 47 double-doubles |
Brook Lopez | Nets | 11.5 ppg, 15 rpg, 47 double-doubles |
Greg Monroe | Pistons | 15.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 35 double-doubles |
This story was originally published June 28, 2015 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Mavericks’ Chandler to make business decision during free agency."