Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors looking at free agent Tyson Chandler – NBA Update
Every free agency, there are a handful of teams chasing a free agent star who mostly chooses to stay with his franchise. This season the player in question seems to be centre Tyson Chandler and the teams chasing are Sacramento
Kings and Toronto Raptors.
The 7-foot-1 centre had an impressive season last year, almost averaging a double-double with over 10 points and 9.4 rebounds. However, Chandler really came into his own in the post season when the player provided a defensive anchor
to the team on their way to the NBA World Championship.
Chandler was pivotal for the Mavericks as he provided a solid base and kept the lane clear. Chandler’s intensity and leadership made all the difference for the Mavericks and his teammates heaped a lot of praise on him. Many analysts
believe that the Dallas Mavericks simply could not have won the NBA World Championship without Chandler.
The player, who only signed for the Mavs in the previous summer won the Championship in his first season with the franchise but his contract is now up and he will hit the free agency whenever the NBA owners and players implement
a new CBA, Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors both did not make the playoffs the last season but had high picks in the NBA Draft 2011 and strengthened their respective rosters with some fine young talent. Centre, however, is a problem position
for both teams and in a league facing a severe shortage of strong, quality big guys, Chandler could perhaps become the most sought after player in this year’s free agency.
He would certainly make the Raptors or the Kings much stronger and become an invaluable member of their rosters if he were to make a move to either club. Both franchises also have plenty of cap space available and could offer Tyson
Chandler a very attractive and lucrative contract.
But the player is not likely to join either team for a couple of reasons. A look at recent free agencies show that the top players often choose to go to an established team where they are sure to compete for the NBA World title,
case in point is LeBron James last year.
The second reason would be Chandler’s own past. The player has largely had an underwhelming career in the NBA since being drafted as the 2nd overall pick back in 2002. Chandler finally seems to have found his groove,
as well as instant success at the Dallas Mavericks and he will not want to change that.
In the end the player’s future could be decided by the new CBA. If it contains a soft cap as the current one, Mike Cuban would certainly re-sign the player. However in the case of a hard cap Chandler could move elsewhere.
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