Marc Stein: Suns not making Tyson Chandler available

Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN had a conversation this week, and they talked Phoenix Suns basketball in a week that lends itself to talking lots of Phoenix Suns basketball.

When the topic of trading Tyson Chandler came up, Stein allowed himself to dream the dream of many Phoenix fans, questioning whether the Suns would retain the veteran big man with the hopes of later landing San Antonio Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge.

“Do you keep Tyson Chandler only in the event that someday the Spurs would trade Aldridge and Aldridge wants to go to Phoenix because Tyson’s there?”

Lowe didn’t give the idea much consideration.

“They’re 0 for 1 on that plan working out.”

Phoenix famously missed out on the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes two summers ago. This despite the mayor’s plans to unfurl a gigantic LaMarcus Aldridge on the side of a downtown building.

More realistic Tyson Chandler discussion occurred, with Stein indicating that the Portland Trail Blazers were closer to striking a deal than many thought.

“The question mark for me is Tyson Chandler. The word consistently from the Suns is he’s not available, you know. Earl Watson is constantly coming out and saying Tyson is here we don’t want him to go anywhere but you know Earl Watson is the coach, he’s not the front office. So I don’t know that he really has the ultimate say there. Now I know Portland was trying and trying and trying on Tyson and couldn’t get him. Did the Nurkic trade. I wonder will someone try to, or Phoenix would they be willing to give up Chandler? I don’t think Tyson Chandler wants to go, I think he wants to stay in Phoenix. But that’s what I think we’ve got to keep our eye on.”

So what ends up being the fate of Tyson Chandler? Stay? Go? Stay then go?

By the way, the Mayor Greg Stanton didn’t keep the banner. So they’d have to make a new one.