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

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Dec 20, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) against Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (4) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Bucks defeated the Suns 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks could very easily stay patient, accepting whatever happens this season with the knowledge that a healthy Khris Middleton would’ve made a big difference.

But with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker showing such significant progress, the Bucks’ current 18-18 record surprisingly has them hovering in contention for a playoff spot. Going .500 is nothing to write home about, but Milwaukee owns the fourth best point differential in the East and is only 2.5 games out of the fourth seed.

If the Bucks want to accelerate their plans a bit without sacrificing any of their intrinsic building blocks, trading for a defensive anchor to bolster their 11th ranked defense is one way to go.

At 26 years old, John Henson is slowly but surely teetering toward being a non-essential piece. He’s the Bucks’ starting center by name, but he averages only 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 20.1 minutes per game. Greg Monroe takes up plenty of center minutes off the bench and the Bucks can go small thanks to the Greek Freak’s all-encompassing length.

Bringing in a 34-year-old veteran like Chandler might seem risky, but since the Bucks are barely playing Henson 20 minutes a game, just imagine what Tyson — a former teammate of head coach Jason Kidd in New York and Dallas — could accomplish in a mentor’s role.

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Not only would he be a positive locker room presence for rookie Thon Maker, but he’d definitely help the NBA’s 22nd-ranked rebounding team. He’s nowhere near as spry as he once was, but in split minutes with Monroe, there’s no question he could do a commendable job on the back lines.

Tyson’s rebounding and rim runs would help Milwaukee batten down the hatches for a playoff push, and if any fan base knows the value of defensive-minded veterans, it’s the Bucks, who watched their team significantly regress after Jared Dudley, Zaza Pachulia and Jerryd Bayless all left in 2015.

For the Suns, they’d be getting younger at the center spot and giving Henson the chance to prove himself off the bench. They’d clear out starter’s minutes for Alex Len, and though there’s no way they’d get a draft pick along with Henson, this kind of swap would make some sense for both sides.

That being said, Milwaukee’s front office could hardly be blamed for holding off on a semi-lateral move like this. Henson has not lived up to his potential or his contract extension, but he’s still only 26 and in his fifth NBA season.

That might make him more attractive than Chandler and the remaining two years on his contract, even if the NBA’s rising salary cap and the veteran experience he’d bring to the table would make that $26.6 million more than manageable.