NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Tyson Chandler

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Jan 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (4) handles the ball in the first half of the NBA game against the Miami Heat at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Boston Celtics

This isn’t the blockbuster trade Boston Celtics fans have been waiting for, but for a team ranked 28th in rebounds per game and rebounding percentage, Tyson Chandler would be a useful addition who wouldn’t cost the C’s nearly as much as a superstar.

Before Suns fans go dreaming of that 2017 first round pick from the Brooklyn Nets, let’s preface this entire section with, “That ain’t happening.” Chandler and his 11.7 rebounds per game would clearly address an area of need for Boston, but it’s not that big an issue.

That being said, general manager Danny Ainge has plenty of other future assets that might entice Phoenix, and he wouldn’t even have to worry about giving up a talented piece of his team’s core like Jae Crowder or Marcus Smart.

For the simple price of veteran Amir Johnson and a future first-rounder, the Celtics could add the interior presence and rebounding anchor they badly need.

Al Horford is a versatile defender and underrated rim protector, but he’s a historically underwhelming rebounder and he struggles head-to-head against Tristan Thompson — the offensive rebounding beast that Boston would need to overcome if they were to have any chance of knocking off Cleveland in the East.

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Trading for Chandler would help a ton in that regard, and though he doesn’t stretch the floor in any capacity, Horford does, shooting efficiently from the midrange and spreading the floor the three-point line (albeit on 33.3 percent shooting after going 34.4 percent from deep last year).

With Horford playing the 4 and Chandler holding down the boards, Boston’s 18th ranked defense might be a lot stingier down the stretch in tight games. Amir Johnson is a versatile, hard-working defender, but Chandler would address a more specific area of need.

As for the first-rounder being sent away, Boston would have options. The Celtics’ roster is getting awfully crowded, but not too crowded to exclude another incoming top-five pick in 2017. The Celtics have all of their own first-rounders to work with though, plus Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder and a 2019 lottery-protected first-rounder from the Los Angeles Clippers. Perhaps the Clippers pick would be a fair compromise for both sides.

The Suns could use a veteran defender like Amir Johnson to take pressure off rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, but he wouldn’t take developmental minutes away from them either.

The potential stalwarts to such a deal would be Ainge targeting a more high-profile star, Boston refusing to give up a first-rounder for an aging veteran, or Phoenix not even looking to deal Chandler despite Len’s need for starter’s minutes.