Tyson Chandler had the good fortune to become a free agent right after his Dallas Mavericks won the NBA championship in 2011. From the combination of Rick Carlisle and Dwane Casey’s innovation on defence, to the solid perimeter work of players such as Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson and Shawn Marion, there were many reasons the Mavericks, formerly an offence-first team, were able to become good enough defensively to win. Chandler was the biggest reason.
In a surprise move, following the 2011 lockout, the Mavericks let Chandler walk. He was moved to New York in a sign-and-trade after agreeing to a four-year, $58 million contract. The new CBA put things into a new context for the Mavericks, and they did not believe that committing long term to a 29-year-old centre would help them prolong their championship window. They placed a premium on financial flexibility so they could chase their next star in free agency or on the trade market. They decided that they would not overpay…
