When Tyson Chandler was bought out by the Phoenix Suns, the veteran center could have signed with the Golden State Warriors, but the eventual return of DeMarcus Cousins complicated things for the big man and he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Lakers instead.
Chandler had conversations with the Warriors when he cleared waivers. The former Defensive Player of the Year says he loves the system Golden State runs and the star players on the roster such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
However, Tyson Chandler wanted to play meaningful minutes wherever he was going next, and that likely wasn't going to be possible once Cousins returned from his Achilles tear.
“The Warriors, honestly, had always been on my mind just because I love the style of basketball that they play,” Chandler told Sam Amick of The Atheltic. “I love the players there. I love Steph (Curry), KD (Kevin Durant), I love (coach) Steve Kerr. I just love the style of play that they play with, and so I heavily considered that and I asked them if they would like me there, and they said ‘Yeah.’
“They also were completely honest, and said (how) DeMarcus is coming off injury and we don’t know what that playing time is going to be like once he gets back. And so for me, it became (a question of), ‘Where would I make the most impact?’ Do I want to go there and — back-to-back champs — just a well-oiled machine, be one of the guys, maybe be that vet on the bench after DeMarcus comes back?
“Or do I want to come to the Lakers, where they were teeter-tottering a little bit, struggling at the time, but I’d seen it coming alive, and I’ve always loved the draft picks and the young players that they had here, and then ‘Bron coming here, and then (Rajon) Rondo, and then having those vets? I’m like, let me go ahead and hop in that dogfight.”
Tyson Chandler signed with the Lakers on Nov. 6. The 18-year-veteran has appeared in 30 games with the purple and gold and he is averaging 3.9 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.
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