NBA Rumors: Veteran Center Plans To Play One More Season

Tyson Chandler, an NBA big man who has made a living on the defensive end, is not ready to call it quits. The 36-year-old plans to play one more season and he may hopefully get that wish in the summer.

Chandler had an erratic 2018-19 NBA season but eventually ended up with the Los Angeles Lakers. He started the season with the Phoenix Suns before he was bought out early in the 2019-18 NBA season. He signed a minimum salary deal with the Lakers and is expected to head back into free agency this offseason, Yardbarker reported.

Chandler, the second overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft is best known for his hard work on the glass and defensive prowess. He was the 2012 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and has already won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks back in 2011. The 36-year-old’s best years was when he suited up for the New Orleans Hornets, averaging 11.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per outing.

While he has not been known to churn in big numbers, the 7-foot-1 center hardly made his presence felt when he joined the Phoenix Suns in 2015. The best he could do was average 11.5 rebounds during the 2016-17 NBA season but nothing glaring really followed.

He was hardly a factor for the Lakers last NBA season as well, Sports Illustrated reported. He averaged only 3.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per outing where he saw action in only 48 games. With hardly impressive numbers, it will be interesting which NBA team would consider the one-time NBA champion.

The fact that he is a big man may entice teams in need of someone to man in the middle. If not frequently playing, he could end up mentoring the future big men instead. He is likely to settle for a minimum deal once again and spend more time on the bench. Either way, it looks like the NBA veteran wants to see if he can still contribute to any team that would express interest in him.

Being a native of California, Chandler may have preference joining a team around the area. Another stint with the Lakers would be grand – assuming of course that Walton (or whoever calls the shots for Los Angeles) is amenable to bringing him back for a tour of duty.