The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly finalized a deal with the New York Knicks that will send former Maverick and all-star center Tyson Chandler back to Dallas, along with troubled point guard Raymond Felton.
The Mavericks’ desire to reacquire Chandler has been well-known around the league since the team was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the eventual NBA-champion San Antonio Spurs back in May.
Chandler, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, was a key player on the Dallas’ 2011 NBA Championship team. The Mavs decided to let him walk that offseason, and he ultimately landed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Knicks.
In return for Chandler and Felton, Dallas gave up not only two valuable starters in point guard Jose Calderon and center Samuel Dalembert, but also reserve guards Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington, along with both the 34th and 51st picks in Thursday’s NBA draft.
Unloading the contracts of Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler is just the beginning of what is expected to be a massive roster overhaul for the Knicks under recently-appointed president Phil Jackson, as they make one last attempt to convince star forward and soon-to-be free agent Carmelo Anthony to stay with the team.
The Knicks were also in desperate need of draft picks, and while the two may not be early picks, they at least give Jackson some players out of this strong draft class, and a chance to add depth to the lineup.
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