Tyson Chandler says that contract talks with Dallas Mavericks are in the doldrums – NBA Report
Tyson Chandler may have been the backbone of the Dallas Mavericks’ back court in the 2011 NBA Finals, but the seven foot centre has revealed in a recent interview, that he and the Dallas Mavericks had too many differences regarding
a new contract when last they spoke.
The negotiations have of course stopped since the NBA lockout began on July 1 as NBA franchises are not allowed to contact any players until a new CBA is in place.
Chandler hasn’t had a great NBA career since being picked 2nd overall in the 2002 NBA draft. The player has been plagued by many issues and was generally regarded as a bust.
However, that was until last season.
Chandler signed for the Dallas Mavericks and established himself as their starting centre right from the start. He provided solidity and steel in the paint that ultimately helped the Mavericks win the first NBA World Championship
in the franchise’s history last season.
Therefore Chandler’s stock has gone up considerably and the big man wants to get paid handsomely. His contract ran out in the summer and the Mavericks insisted before the lockout that they want to keep Tyson in Dallas. However,
the player has now spoken about the negotiations that went on before the July 1 and it does not make for good reading if you are a Mavericks fan,
“We talked about getting something done before the lockout, but it just didn't happen. ... we were so far apart, we might as well not have even met” said the 7-foot-1 Chandler.
The player had made clear that he wanted to stay in Dallas for the time being, but also kept the door open for a move in the free agency that could help him secure a much larger contract.
The Mavs are the reigning NBA Champions though and in terms of on court affairs Chandler will be making a step down if he decides to move for a big pay check to teams like the Sacramento Kings, who had been linked with him before
the lockout.
Chandler is therefore still willing to sit down and talk with the Mavericks. He said that maybe before the lockout, the two sides did not have enough time to iron out their differences. The Mavs had just won the NBA World Championship
and the whole organization was still in celebration mode.
Tyson said, “It wasn't much time there and it was celebration time, so everybody was still celebrating and we might have a lot longer to keep celebrating, too.”
Time will be of the essence again when the lockout ends, because it is bound to take up the training and free agency period completely. Games could probably also be lost. What that means is that the Mavs will have a very short
amount of time before the lockout ends and season begins to secure Chandler’s signature.
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