Chandler.
CHICAGO -- Center Tyson Chandler, a pillar of the Dallas Mavericks' championship run in 2011, is coming back to Dallas after the New York Knicks pulled a trade to clear salary cap space yesterday.
In the package deal, the Knicks parted with Chandler and slipping point guard Raymond Felton, who is mired by problems both off and on the court. In return, Dallas sends over to New York point guard Jose Calderon, center Samuel Dalembert and reserves Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington.
"The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues," said Knicks president Phil Jackson, who made his first big bold move since taking over as the head of the NBA's marquee franchise.
After helping Dallas win it all in 2011, the 31-year old Chandler left for New York for a lucrative 4-year, $60 million deal that the Mavs couldn't match. He became an All-Star in 2013 but had some struggles of late, averaging just 8.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his final year in the Big Apple.
The 7-foot-1, 240-pound Chandler, however, remains a huge defensive presence, which is why his former team pursued him after a first-round playoffs elimination at the hands of the eventual 2014 NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs.
"We think Tyson makes our defense better and we still maintain quite a bit of cap flexibility," Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN Dallas via email. (Homer D. Sayson)
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