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Ben Wallace for Tyson Chandler - a rumor explored

With The Big Trade a done deal the Suns are now the proud owner of Ben Wallace's expiring $14m contract. Few people think that Ben can contribute on the floor and many more are listening to Wallace's own words about potentially retiring. That doesn't mean that Big Ben is without value to the Suns in the form of trade bait.

The word from a few places that haven't yet risen to more prominent sources is that the Suns want to now trade Wallace's contract to the New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler. Here's what that deal might look like.

 

Star-divide

For the Suns

Tyson is set to make $12.3m this season and has a player option for $13.1m in 2010/11. There are some incentives tied to that final year but it's not yet clear what they are. It isn't a great contract given his production (8pts / 9reb) but it isn't horrible either. Tyson, when healthy and motivated, is a fantastic defensive big man who attacks the glass like no one we've seen in a Suns uniform since Charles Barkley. He's a guy that can finish on a lob well enough to be a decent pick and roll threat offensively if not over used. Most importantly, he has the mobility to both guard guys on the perimeter as well as the size and strength to battle in the post.

What I really like about Tyson is that he's a prefect fit with Robin Lopez. They are virtually the same player with Robin of course being much more raw. Usually, you want to see some diversity in skill sets between your starter and your back up but in this case I love the idea of Robin being able to learn from Tyson and the Suns wouldn't have to adjust their game depending who is playing.

Personality-wise, I think Chandler is a much better mentor for the laid back Lopez. Shaq's style was never a great fit for Robin and he certainly couldn't learn how to replicate Shaq's game by playing him in practice. With Tyson, Robin will have a guy with a very similar set of physical tools but more experience using them on the court. I really like the pairing between the two.

The knock on Tyson is his work ethic and consistent effort level as well has his health. There's not much to say about the first except it is an unfortunate common theme throughout the NBA. I don't like it but there it is.

As for his health, Tyson only played in 45 games last season due to ankle issues and he was famously rejected by the Thunder in that failed trade due to some kind of chronic toe issue. Looking at his career, this past season was the first time in 5 seasons that he missed significant time and one has to assume that the Suns will look long and hard at this before pulling the trigger. Remember that most of us scoffed at signing an injured Shaq but when the Suns training staff said they could fix him they were right. If they say they can fix Tyson I would tend to believe them.

Oh, and this deal yields almost another $4m in savings for the Suns over keeping Wallace (if he dosn't take a buy out).


For the Hornets

Right now Suns fans are pretty pissed at the notion that we traded a healthy and productive Shaq for salary savings. If Wallace goes to the Hornets that anger will quickly transfer to the Big Easy.

The Hornets tried to trade Chandler once and failed. With this deal they save on his salary next season and there's a very good chance that if they can buy out Wallace this season they could save even more money. Again though, Wallace's intentions are key.

I would have to think that the Hornets will be looking for more out of the Suns here. Picks or cash most likely since they probably don't want another contract but maybe they push for Lou Amundson's inexpensive $855k deal. That would make a lot of sense for them.

Where this deal might get stuck is if the Hornets try and force the Suns into taking one of their bad contracts like Antonio Daniels($6.6m), Mo Pete ($6m) or Rasul Butler ($4m).

Poll
Do you like the Shaq trade if..
I like it as is - Wallace and Sasha
86 votes
I like it if the Suns can now trade Wallace for Chandler
885 votes
I don't like it at all. Shaq should have stayed in Phx
171 votes

1142 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 16 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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Coup-dos!

If the Suns can pull this off, it’s a massive coup and a demonstration of basketball and financial savvy that we have yet to see from the Sarver administration.

Which in all likelihood means no dice.

by Mike Lisboa on Jun 25, 2009 9:36 AM MDT reply actions  

Either way...

I like the trade because it’ll free Amare and Nash up again. Yes, they looked like they were figuring it out the few games Gentry, Nash, Shaq and Amare all had together but they did the same thing the previuos year, too. Shaq just doesn’t fit into the system and they should be better off without him – ESPECIALLY if they could bring in a long center who can block shots but stay out of the way on offense a la Chandler. I would also (if they can’t get Chandler) like to see the Suns try and get LA’s 29th – which is supposedly available – and take a shot on Taj Gibson or Jeff Pendergraph (I like both of those players more than I ever liked Fropez) – a low cost investment that could pay off and if it doesn’t…so what? It’s the end of the first round so we wouldn’t be paying them a lot.

by watdogg10 on Jun 25, 2009 9:39 AM MDT reply actions  

+1 on Pendergraph

although I really think he’ll be available for one of the Suns’ nine million picks in the second round.

by Azreous on Jun 25, 2009 12:12 PM MDT up reply actions  

Indeed!

I was thinking about this idea as well but couldn’t find it. Great work!

by Seth Pollack on Jun 25, 2009 10:24 AM MDT up reply actions  

kerr

can prove all of us wrong if he pulled this one right?

by CCArvin on Jun 25, 2009 10:00 AM MDT reply actions  

Hardly

If he pulls this off, he essentially traded Shaq for Chandler.

If that’s reedeming himself, jeez….

"I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok." ~Shaq

by Max_in_Missouri on Jun 25, 2009 5:04 PM MDT up reply actions  

Kerr

Has been taken in every deal he has done. So this would signal a turning point. I’m not holding my breath. I agree with Mike.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jun 25, 2009 10:03 AM MDT reply actions  

It might happen

Especially if Wallace is serious about retirement or a buy-out.

New Orleans needs to cut salary badly. Very badly. Oddly enough, all the post-Katrina feel-good do-gooders aren’t buying tickets to support the team in that overblown port city (I had pre-Katrina relatives there). We continually hear rumors of the financial woes and the team definitely took a step back this year. If Wallace ends up being even cheaper than his contract, I think New Orleans would ship out Chandler.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Jun 25, 2009 10:25 AM MDT reply actions  

34 is pretty young to retire. I’m sure his body is in pieces to an extent, but if Big Ben has any love for the game, you’d think he’d want to at least try and get healthy and work himself into a desired product, thereby giving himself another chance at a title.

Of course I don’t know the guy. Maybe he just wants to sit around and fish while counting the dollars in his bank accounts.

by RD74 on Jun 25, 2009 10:27 AM MDT up reply actions  

I'm not that familiar with the guy

But I will say he seemed pretty depressed at the end of this year.

He looked tired, old and beaten. I’m just sayin’ … it’s not the years, its the mileage. I don’t know that he will go the route of the long-drawn out road to a retirement. That sort of thing is generally reserved for former greats like Randy Johnson, Bret Favre and Shaq.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Jun 25, 2009 10:30 AM MDT up reply actions  

The Hornets' filled their arena to 98.7% capacity

That was good for 8th in the NBA. I wish people would inform themselves about the situation in our city before making foolish comments. Most of people’s ideas about New Orleans and the Hornets’ financial situation are based on national media articles that themselves contained poor research. The situation is a result of overpaying three free agents on the roster (Stojakovic, Peterson, Posey) with overly long deals. It was the front office’s lack of forward thinking and has nothing to do with the people of New Orleans.

To comment directly on the article, the Hornets would almost certainly ask Phoenix to take on Butler or Peterson’s contracts, as they’re more or less exactly the same player.

http://hornetshype.com

by ticktock6 on Jun 25, 2009 11:23 AM MDT up reply actions  

DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!

But I don’t think it’ll happen. Too much money for sarvkerr to take on and we could have just gotten him in a three way deal. With that said ric bucher on twitter said we were going for a chandleresque player-my guess is maybe camby? But he also said if suns have their way amare is gone today. Then you have coro talking about biedrins for amare…

Add that to the fact that a certain unverified but credible “insider” on the realgm suns forum says Nash and amare are staying and chandler is coming, plus ash’s statement that we’re done trading for now…who knows what’s gonna happen

Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."

by rsavaj on Jun 25, 2009 10:46 AM MDT reply actions  

i just read Tyson Chandler makes 11.8 next yr and 12.7 in his final yr.. I’d make the deal if we can..

by Lebrontophx2010 on Jun 25, 2009 12:36 PM MDT reply actions  

i dont wanna see amare go but if we do trade him we should wait til the deadline…

by Lebrontophx2010 on Jun 25, 2009 12:37 PM MDT reply actions  

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