There was a glut of bigs on the market at the trade deadline, and while DeMarcus Cousins and Nerlens Noel did get moved, plenty of others (headlined by Jahlil Okafor).
The Suns were willing to put Tyson Chandler in that group, but he didn’t want to be moved, something he confirmed to the Arizona Republic.(GM Ryan) McDonough and team owner Robert Sarver asked Chandler his preference: go to a postseason contender or stay with the rebuilding Suns in a limited on-court role....
“That’s true,” (Chandler) said after Tuesday’s practice. “I feel like it’s a journey I started that I want to see through. If things change, I don’t know, but as long as I’m here, I’m going to try and do what’s right by these young fellas. I didn’t want to go nowhere. I wanted to be with these dudes and finish it out.”
Chandler has two years, $26.8 million left on his contract, that and his declining skill set would make it difficult for the Suns to move him for anything of real value in a trade. Especially in this market.
Also, maybe Chandler just likes the lifestyle in Phoenix. There’s a lot more to picking a market to play in than just basketball. If Chandler like living in Phoenix for a while, the Suns will have to live with it.
