Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Tyson Chandler might actually be on the move

By Adam Maynes

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: Tyson Chandler #4 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets on January 19, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: Tyson Chandler #4 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets on January 19, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Portland Trailblazers

PORTLAND, OR – OCTOBER 28: Tyson Chandler #4 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – OCTOBER 28: Tyson Chandler #4 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Blazers are not on the edge of championship contention, but they are sick of losing, and as they ride the primes of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCullum, they could use all the help they can get to best utilize their superstar backcourt. Their frontcourt might be stabilized for the long-term with Jusif Nurcic, but while Nurcic is be capable of carrying the weight for the near future, rookie Zach Collins does not appear to be that solid of a backup. Adding a veteran center would help sure up those holes that Collins isn’t filling.

Portland has been seen as a suitor for Jordan for sometime now, and as of January 22, appears once again to be a legitimate destination. Adding Jordan would give the Blazers a very good one-two punch at center for many years to come, provided that they re-sign him long-term.

Whoever/whatever it might take to acquire Jordan is irrelevant here, however, if the Blazers cannot find the right deal to make a swap happen, then they could look to Chandler to at least bolster their front court and provide a secondary defensive presence that could for the near term – if nothing else – and at least keep them from facing either the Warriors or Rockets in the first round this summer.

As simple and easy a match a Chandler to Blazers trade might seem in concept, it doesn’t really workout all too well on paper, so I really don’t know how this would happen.

Contractually Al-Farouq Aminu and the aforementioned Zach Collins would match Chandler’s earnings, although I’m not quite sure that the Blazers would want to move either (Aminu is Portland’s starting small forward and they just selected Collins in the first round last summer), nor would the Suns necessarily care for either. Aminu is 27 and Collins might be a decent replacement for Chandler this season and potentially for Alex Len if he walks, but it doesn’t seem likely that he is a player that Phoenix would be all too interested in obtaining.

Could a trade work out? Sure. But likely not without a third team, speculative waters I choose not to wade through.

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