ESPN: Tyson Chandler a possible trade asset to help the Cavaliers
Jan 29, 2018, 4:05 PM
Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler dries on Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
As the Cleveland Cavaliers scramble to find a player at the trade deadline to make the team a better title contender, they may look to the Phoenix Suns as a possible trading partner.
One problem the Cavaliers will be looking to address is their defense. Cleveland has the second worst defensive rating in the NBA and the Suns’ starting center could be the answer to the Cavs’ defensive woes, according to a new article from ESPN’s Andre Snellings.
… the Cavs do need a defensive anchor, and they have a glut of perimeter players who appear to exacerbate their chemistry issues because they have overlapping roles and not enough minutes to thrive.
Snellings writes that the Suns could trade Tyson Chandler to the Cavaliers in return for Channing Frye, Jeff Green, Jose Calderon and the Miami Heat’s 2020 second-round draft pick. Snellings also added that in order to sweeten the deal for the Suns, the Cavs might even trade this year’s late-first-round draft pick.
Chandler would be the defensive center Cleveland needs, and another veteran presence with championship experience, leadership and a voice that would demand respect in the locker room. The Suns have little need for Chandler, a veteran player at the stage of his career where he’s most useful to contending teams.
For the Suns, this trade would help the team get out of paying Chandler $13.6 million next year as the returning players all have expiring contracts. This would give Phoenix cap relief and the money and ability to look at other options, such as Avery Bradley, in the upcoming offseason.
This would also free up minutes for the Suns to figure out what to do in the future at the center position. Making this trade would allow Greg Monroe a chance to prove his abilities to the team, or Phoenix could develop Alex Len and Marquese Chriss for the rest of the season.
