2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Tyson Chandler: 1 year, $2.6 million (Houston Rockets)
Tyson Chandler has agreed to a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets, his agent Jeff Scwhartz tells @NYTSports
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 12, 2019
The Houston Rockets still have their Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception and $1.9 million of their Bi-Annual Exception to work with, but more than likely, this will be a minimum deal for the 18-year veteran.
Tyson Chandler’s days as a Defensive Player of the Year are obviously long gone, but for the first month or so of his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, he provided a stabilizing force in the middle during his sparse minutes. Overall, Chandler averaged 3.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game over his 48 appearances for L.A. last year.
The Rockets will be hoping for a similar effect, especially after trading Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook to create one of the league’s worst defensive backcourts, but expectations should be tempered after the way his minutes and impact tapered off for the Lakers. Chandler will play limited minutes behind Clint Capela, but he’s a well-respected veteran who can help with Capela’s growth and should be an adequate (albeit less effective) replacement for Nene Hilario.
Grade: C+