Suns draft puts Tyson Chandler in interesting spot moving forward

The Phoenix Suns went back-and-forth between Croatian big man Dragan Bender and Washington freshman Marquese Chriss on who to pick at no. 4 in the NBA Draft. Thanks to help from the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix was able to select both frontcourt players, raising the question of what’s to become of last year’s big offseason free-agent addition, Tyson Chandler.

Chandler averaged 7.2 points per game and grabbed 8.7 rebounds per game last season, his lowest averages since the 2009-10 season with the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix signed the 15-year veteran to a four-year, $52 million deal hoping to lure LaMarcus Aldridge to the desert. Aldridge signed with San Antonio and now the Suns are stuck with a center who’s past his prime.

While Chandler does possess great leadership traits, The Ringer’s Micah Peters believes the additions of Bender and Chriss should indicate the writing is on the wall.

The Suns took Dragan Bender with the no. 4 pick, and later dealt the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic and two mid-to-late first-rounders to Sacramento to take stretch-four Marquese Chriss at no. 8.

Chriss will pair nicely in the frontcourt with Alex Len, and Bender could come off of the bench and contribute, but where does that leave Tyson Chandler? He’s injury prone, has 10 years on his next-youngest replacement, and will be paid $12.4 million by the Suns next year to essentially be a life coach.

With the Suns drafting the youngest player in the draft this year, Bender at age 18, and doubling-down for frontcourt help in 19-year-old Chriss, that doesn’t leave much room for 33-year-old Chandler.

If Phoenix is inclined on trying to move Chandler, it might be difficult to find a team that will take on his contract without sweetening the pot somehow.

However, if there is one team that might be open to acquiring Chandler, Peters thinks it’ll be a team he’s already suited up for once before.

It’s all good, though: the chips are falling into place for Chandler to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks for the third (and maybe final?) time.